Abu Dhabi joins World Triathlon Series calendar

The International Triathlon Union (ITU) has announced that Abu Dhabi will join the schedule of the World Triathlon Series in 2015.

Following an agreement between the ITU and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the Emirate will feature on the calendar as part of a new five-year deal, from 2015 to 2019, with its debut scheduled for the opening round of the 2015 series on 7th and 8th March next year.

Welcoming the addition to the Series calendar, ITU President Marisol Casado stated "this is a partnership which represents a meeting of like minds in terms of ambitions.

“Abu Dhabi is a world-class city and offers a fantastic combination of beautiful water and superb road infrastructure that is entirely suitable for a World Triathlon Series event.

“In our talks leading up to the partnership it became apparent that Abu Dhabi wants to take its triathlon to the next level and expand the sport's reach in much the same way as ITU is determined to progress the sport internationally.”

Abu Dhabi has also staged the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon since 2010.

While Abu Dhabi is the only location on the 2015 World Triathlon Series calendar, the Series also returns to Australia for the first time since 2009, running on the Gold Coast on 11th and 12th April.

The ITU also confirmed that the World Triathlon London event will take place on 30th and 31st May.

Other previously announced stops on the 10 event schedule are:

28th & 29th March - Auckland 
25th & 26th April - Cape Town, South Africa 
16th & 17th May - Yokohama, Japan 
18th & 19th July - Hamburg, Germany 
22nd & 23rd August - Stockholm, Sweden 
5th & 6th September - Edmonton, Canada 
15th to 20th September - Chicago, USA

For more information on the ITU World Triathlon Series go to www.triathlon.org

For more information on the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon go to www.abudhabitriathlon.com

8th September 2014 - ITU WORLD TRIATHLON SERIES TO RETURN TO AUSTRALIA WITH GOLD COAST EVENT