Salford Sets its Sights on BG Triathlon World Championships
Saturday, 26th August 2006
Following the success of the Salford BG Triathlon World Cup on July 30, the city is raising the stakes and setting its sights firmly on a bid to host the 2010 BG World Championships.
The announcement of the host city will be made on September 4 when Salford will find out if it has been successful in attracting yet another major sporting event to Britain in the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Games.
With the support of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and UK Sport, Salford's bid will be presented in partnership with British Triathlon and will be assessed alongside bids put forward by Budapest, Aqaba (Jordan) and Mazatlan (Mexico) at this year's World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Well established as a favoured host city on the international triathlon circuit, Salford is highly regarded by both organisers and athletes from around the globe. The event also offers athletes a challenging yet well maintained course set against the iconic background of Salford Quays.
With many athletes ranked in to the World's top 50, Great Britain is a leading nation in the sport of triathlon and a Salford World Championships in 2010 would be an excellent opportunity for athletes, technical officers and volunteers to prepare for the 2012 Olympics in London.
Britain's leading male triathlete Tim Don commented: "A World Championships in Salford two years before the London Olympics would be tremendous. Top triathletes love going to Salford as it is a great course. European's, Aussies and Kiwi's love running along Sir Matt Busby Way and past Old Trafford."
Councillor Merry, Leader of Salford City Council said: "Having successfully hosted four successive World Cup events we are confident that Salford has a proven track record. A great deal of preparation and hard work has been invested in the World Championships bid as this would be an incredible coup for the city, should Salford be selected as the 2010 host."
John Scott, UK Sport's International Director, said: "UK Sport is delighted to be supporting the bid for Salford to host the BG Triathlon World Championships in 2010. Following the Commonwealth Games in 2002, the Salford course has emerged as one of the finest in the world and has a track record of hosting excellent World Cup events since then. Our Lottery funded World Class Events Programme supports the bidding and staging costs of hosting strategically important major sporting events on home soil and we believe that a Salford World Championships would be a world-class competition in a world-class environment."
Jasmine Flatters, Chair of British Triathlon, said: "The Salford Triathlon has established itself as a premier event on the ITU World Cup circuit and is a favourite amongst the athletes themselves. To host the ITU Triathlon World Championships would indeed be an honour and we are grateful to UK Sport for giving us the opportunity to bid for this prestigious event. Salford has the venue, the facilities and the people to make this happen."
Peter Mearns, Director of Marketing at NWDA, said: "The NWDA is pleased to support Salford's bid to host the Triathlon World Championships in 2010. Major sporting events make an important contribution to the local economy as well as providing an unrivalled opportunity to showcase the region. That is why the NWDA is working hard to bring more of these types of events to the Northwest through the development of its Major Events Strategy."
Source: Press Release
More info:www.trisalford2010.info