New eight-city World C'ships' opener set to be staged here in May
By
Leonard Lim
The 2007 World Championships in Hamburg (left) was witnessed live by 7.7 million viewers. -- PHOTO: UPSOLUT
SINGAPORE is set to host its most prestigious endurance event - one that, like the Formula One race, will showcase the city's skyline to millions of people abroad.
The Straits Times understands that the Republic will be the first stop of a new eight-legged triathlon World Championship series that begins in May.
'This is fantastic. It is similar to F1 racing where the top athletes are battling head-to-head.'
JAN FRODENO, Beijing Olympics men's triathlon gold medallist
The other cities that are understood to be on the calendar, which will be officially announced soon, include London, Madrid and Washington DC.
The only other Asian venue is Yokohama in Japan.
This new annual series will be an extension of the current World Championships, which is held in a different city every year.
The International Triathlon Union (ITU) event ranks second in stature only to the Olympics.
Each of the legs is expected to attract about 120 of the world's top triathletes, who will compete for a prize purse of US$150,000 (S$229,000).
They will also earn ranking points at each race, with the best qualifying for the US$250,000 grand final in Australia's Gold Coast from Sept 9 to 13.
According to ITU documents, the impetus for the switch from a single world championships to a series came at the 2007 event in Hamburg.
That race was witnessed live by 7.7 million television viewers, over 80 million in total, and 600,000 spectators on-site. TV coverage for the series will be handled by the ITU and distributed to 189 countries, thereby guaranteeing each host city an advertisement on the world stage.
Athletes like Beijing Olympics gold medallist Jan Frodeno threw their support behind the idea when the ITU floated it after the Summer Games in August.
The German told the ITU website: 'This is fantastic. It is similar to F1 racing where the top athletes are battling head-to-head.'
He is expected to be among the elite field when the series kicks off here on May 9-10. There will be full distance (1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run) and shorter categories for the public and children too.
Local organisers are now in talks with the authorities over the race route. To enhance TV viewership and spectatorship, this must be in the city centre, according to ITU stipulations.
The proposed start point is the Marina Bay Floating Platform. If the green light is given, the swim leg will be in the new Marina Reservoir and the running and cycling legs along the 5.067km F1 circuit.
This would see athletes racing past attractions like the Singapore Flyer, City Hall and the Esplanade, with the towering Central Business District skyline in the background.
'This will be yet another advertisement for Singapore,' said Sportfive's director of business development Haas Aminian.
His company has secured local hosting rights for three years, with the option for another two when it runs out in 2011.
He added: 'It's going to be a double first as well, since we're the first leg of the first-ever World Championship series. That will boost media coverage.'
Other benefits are in store for the sport locally. The ITU has said that experienced international coaching staff will visit host cities during the events, and work with the national sports federations to develop the sport further.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Community Development, Youth and Sports) Teo Ser Luck, a keen triathlete himself, welcomed the news.
He said: 'Singapore will now be one of the few cities in the world to have internationally-recognised Ironman and Olympic-distance triathlon events.
'It's a milestone both for the sport here, and the country's growing sports calendar.'
