ABU DHABI: A total of 45 national federations have been confirmed to compete in next month’s 2022 World Triathlon Championship Finals in Abu Dhabi, with Britain and the US arriving with the two largest contingents of athletes.
Held from Nov. 23-26 at Yas Island, the prestigious global event, which is being hosted for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa region, will feature participants from all around the world, including the UAE, competing across different categories.
Britain will have the largest squad, with 351 athletes registered as of today, followed by US, who will bring 294 participants to the UAE capital. Canada will have the third largest with 115.
The four-day event will also feature experienced and up-and-coming athletes from the MENA region, with Egypt and Kuwait sending their largest contingents since the 2015 Chicago edition.
The Age Group World Championship teams will be among thousands of triathletes competing across five categories: Elite Men & Women; Elite U23 Men & Women; Elite Para Men & Women; Age Group Men & Women; and the Community and Youth Races.
Members of local communities can participate in the finals, with registration still open for adults’ and kids’ community events. For adults, there are three events to choose from: the Super Sprint (400m swim, 10km bike and 2.3km run), the Sprint (750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run), and the Standard (1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run). These races can be completed either by one individual or as a relay with two or three people competing in a discipline. The junior races offer race categories for children aged 9 years and older.
“We are delighted to be welcoming some of the best and up-and-coming international age group triathletes to the World Triathlon Championship Finals in what promises to be a thrilling spectacle of sport and entertainment,” Aref Al-Awani, general secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said in a statement.
“The pandemic forced us to postpone the Age Group World Championships the last couple of years, but it is fantastic to be able to come back and give athletes from all over the world the opportunity to perform at their best,” Marisol Casado, president of the World Triathlon, said.