Gold Coast is perfect for the Commonwealth Games Triathlon
Committed to hosting the Triathlon Mixed Relay.
The recent announcement that the Gold Coast would host the 2018 Commonwealth Games was seen as a positive boost for triathlons new team format. The location is seen as a Mecca for triathlon and an ideal location to host both the individual triathlon event and the recently added Triathlon Mixed Relay event.
Gold Coast has been the location for numerous international events including the 2009 ITU World Championship Series Grand Final, where local hero Emma Moffatt took the World Championship title. The venue is seen as an ideal setting for the event and presents a challenging course with minimal risks as it has been tested extensively in numerous events.
The 2018 Gold Coast organising committee have committed to hosting the hugely popular Triathlon Mixed Relay event which was recently added to the Commonwealth Games programme at the Commonwealth Games Federation general assembly in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Bid Chairman, Mark Stockwell said he is delighted that Mixed Relay will be included in the Commonwealth Games in addition to the individual competition already in place.
“It will have a very keen audience given our city is the home and training base for many of Australia’s greatest triathletes.
“The course is tried and tested and will be very similar to that used when the 2009 ITU World Championships was held on the Gold Coast,” Mr Stockwell said.
Gold Coast being awarded the 2018 Commonwealth Games is seen as a huge win both locally on the Gold Coast as well as for Triathlon in Australia. The Gold Coast is home to some of Australia’s best triathletes including Olympic Champion Emma Snowsill, two-time World Champion Emma Moffatt, Brad Kahlefeldt, Courtney Atkinson and rising star Ashleigh Gentle. Gold Coast is also the location of the recently established Triathlon Centre of Excellence. The centre, which is part of the Australian Institute of Sport, is the home of the High Performance Program of triathlon.
The International Triathlon Union (ITU) is hoping to bring Triathlon Mixed Relay, also known as Team Triathlon to another beachfront location before 2018. ITU is bidding to get the discipline added to the programme of the Olympic Games for Rio 2016 and will submit its official bid early next year to the IOC.
Team Triathlon is seen as strong contender for inclusion with its strong media popularity and youth appeal. The discipline consists of four athletes: two men and two women, who each complete a short, intense triathlon in the order woman, man, woman, man. The new format has enjoyed phenomenal success since the discipline changed from the original single sex team format in 2009.
According to research agency IFM, the recent Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships in the Olympic city of Lausanne, had over 571 million TV contacts, with over 93 hours of airtime and 253 broadcasts.
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