The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and ITU World Triathlon Series will provide the highlights in another busy year for Great Britain’s elite triathletes. The Series returns to London in May, and adds some new iconic international cities to the circuit.
Glasgow’s Strathclyde Country Park will host the individual and triathlon mixed relay events on 24 and 26 July respectively and offers a spectacular free-to-view spectator experience.
Triathlon has only twice featured in the Games. Manchester hosted the first ever Commonwealth Games triathlon in 2002 and saw Wales’ Leanda Cave win a silver medal. In Melbourne in 2006 the Australia and New Zealand teams won every medal. The sport was omitted from Delhi in 2010, but is set to be one of the major attractions in Glasgow.
World champion Non Stanford (Wales) and Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee (England) have already met the selection criteria. Jodie Stimpson and Jonathan Brownlee (England) and David McNamee (Scotland) have also achieved this and are targeting success in the summer.
Cape Town, Chicago and Edmonton are three new major destinations for the ITU World Triathlon Series. The eight race Series starts in Auckland in April and returns to Hyde Park on 31 May and 1 June. Spectators will again have the opportunity to enjoy free live action as well as the potential to take part in a selection of open races at the London 2012 Olympic venue.
The Series concludes at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Edmonton in September.
World Champion Non Stanford commented: “The Commonwealth Games will be a special highlight, it's not often you get the opportunity to represent Wales. The World Series looks great too with new cities to included in the circuit. I have fond memories of Auckland so would like to start my season there and of course I’m looking forward to racing in Hyde Park."
Olympic Champion, Alistair Brownlee added: “I've not planned my season completely at this stage. I'm looking forward to some family time over Christmas and then focusing on the Commonwealth Games and the World Series Grand Final. It's great that we have two opportunities to race in front of home crowds with the World Series in London in May and the Commonwealths in Glasgow."
2014 major international triathlon calendar
April 5-6: WTS Auckland, New Zealand
April 26-27: WTS Cape Town, South Africa
May 17-18: WTS Yokohama, Japan
May 31-June1: WTS London, England
June 28-29: WTS Chicago, USA
July 12-13: WTS Hamburg, Germany
July 24: Glasgow Commonwealth Games (individual triathlon)
July 26: Glasgow Commonwealth Games (triathlon team relay)
August 23-24: WTS Stockholm, Sweden
WTS Grand Final - August 26-September 1: Edmonton, Canada
