SINGAPORE - Triathlon and e-sports will collide as Super League Triathlon (SLT) returns to Singapore with a new format, with the Republic hosting the Grand Final of the Arena Games Triathlon (AGT) powered by Zwift, a global e-sports World Championship series, on May 6-7.
The latest series kicks off in Munich, Germany on April 9, and will be followed by the second leg in London on April 23, before concluding in Singapore. The events will feature real-life and virtual racing action, after a groundbreaking partnership between SLT and international governing body World Triathlon (WT).
The swim leg of the AGT will see the triathletes take to the water, while the bike and run disciplines are completed on smart trainers and self-powered curved treadmills with the power and speed of the athletes turned into a visual race via Zwift's online platform.
SLT chief executive officer and co-founder Michael D'hulst said: "We have continued to innovate during the pandemic, and the pinnacle of that is our Arena Games Triathlon. Following our recently-announced partnership with World Triathlon, we're very excited to see this event come together at these iconic locations.
"This series will be a milestone in the history of triathlon, and these venues are great places to mark this significant step.
"Singapore was an impressive host during SLT's debut season, staging a superb finale in February 2019 with top-class facilities and organisation. We are happy to be back again to bring the Arena Games Triathlon to our friends in Singapore, and are confident that you will have a good time being a part of the experience."
The combination of real-life and virtual racing provides an immersive viewing experience for enthusiasts, and also gives e-sports fans and sports statistics lovers live data from the athletes in real time.
The event organisers and the relevant authorities are in discussions to iron out details for staging the event safely in accordance with Singapore's safe management measures.
Each of the three stops contributes points to the WT world ranking, and the athletes with the most points over the series will be awarded the first-ever triathlon e-sports world titles in Singapore.
WT president and International Olympic Committee member Marisol Casado said: "We are delighted to welcome these three amazing cities to our roster of hosts, and to end our season in Singapore.
"This is a great line-up of events for our 2022 season, with our three host cities each boasting a strong and unique sporting culture, experience at the Olympics and expertise in organising high quality sporting events. I am sure that both athletes and fans will enjoy it. We look forward to watching the action."
