Last
weekend I had the chance to enjoy a wonderful weekend of triathlon in
Altafulla, near Tarragona. Perfect weather, stunning beaches and the warm
support from thousands of spectators along with the local government, who made it
possible to celebrate in Altafulla the Paratriathlon World Cup, as well as the
Mediterranean Championships and the European Cup. The races had a large number
of international athletes competing, along with races that saw plenty of Spanish
athletes on the podium.
During the
weekend, Altafulla also hosted the General Assembly of the Mediterranean
Association of Triathlon, in which George Yerolimpos was re-elected President,
and Alicia Garcia became Vice President. Way to go for this young association,
who has been very busy organising more events, and will now be taking care of some
wonderful triathlon events at the Mediterranean Games in Tarragona.
Altafulla
also served as a test event for the Mediterranean Games, which will be hosted
in Tarragona in 2018 and will have Triathlon for the first time ever. Just by
watching the atmosphere of the whole town and the involvement of the mayor of
Altafulla, Felix Alonso, you can easily see that the Mediterranean Games are
going to be fantastic. They provide an excellent set up for the races and have
been hosting triathlon events for the last few years, every year increasing the
challenges and exceeding the final results. Congratulations to all involved in
the events, and thanks so much for the support you and your city is giving to
our sport.
This Sunday, I had the privilege to
participate, representing the International Olympic Committee, on the Opening
Ceremony of the World Transplant Games, hosted in the stunning Plaza de Toros
de Málaga, in Spain. Speaking on behalf of IOC President, Mr Thomas Bach, I was
able to witness first hand the great atmosphere of this wonderful sporting
event, in which transplanted athletes and some donors perform together.
During the whole week, more than 2,500
athletes from 52 counties will inspire every single one of us. It is a time for
them to shine and excel in the sport they love so much, but most of all, these
Games are a confirmation of the power of sport to unite us all. In sport,
everyone is equal, no matter who you are or what your background is.
As we all know, sport can change lives and
brings out the best in us. This is why, for all of us, the WTG is a celebration
of humanity and a celebration of life. Every single athlete in attendance is an
inspiration that anyone can lead full, energetic and healthy lives. They are
the best ambassadors to show us all that illness can be overcome. Through
sport, they have found resilience and strength to overcome any obstacle. Their
athletic success demonstrates the enabling role that sport can play for people
everywhere to lead active and fulfilling lives. And they remind us all that the
true meaning of a champion is about so much more than winning.
Most of all, these athletes are proof that
the joy of sport is truly universal. The joy of sport knows no boundaries. The
joy of sport is all about the Olympic values of excellence, respect and
solidarity.
I’m sure you all know the
fantastic news that the Mixed Relays have been officially included in the
Programme for the Olympic Games, starting already in Tokyo 2020. I really
wanted to thank you all for the great efforts you all put into this. I always
say that there is no ‘i’ in team, and the triathlon family showed the whole
world that we are now more than ever a team, and our teams will also be present
in Tokyo and all future Olympic Games, as they already are in the Commonwealth
Games, Youth Olympic Games, Asian Games, Mediterranean Games and PanAmerican
Games.
This has been a great and
long journey. We first thought of including the Mixed Relays in the Olympics
almost 15 years ago, and right after the London 2012 Games we started working
with the IOC in order to get a third event included in the Olympics. This
couldn’t happen in Rio due to external conditions, but it was finally a dream
come true this past week.
What makes it more special is
that the inclusion is not only the result of the push and commitment of the
whole ITU management team, but also for all our stakeholders. It was the
athletes launching the support campaign as well as the athletes announcing that
we are in. They are our most valuable stakeholders, and they are, as they have
always been, at the very heart of all of our decisions. I am extremely
satisfied that thanks to all our efforts, they will now have now the
opportunity to earn another gold Olympic medal.
I also want to thank all the
staff who has tirelessly worked on this project. So many hours, so many
meetings, so many ideas, so many documents, videos and publications were made
with so many people involved with them, that I wanted to extend my gratitude to
the whole team. We were widely recognised as a young IF that is always looking
to the future, and the sky is the limit. We thought big, and we succeeded. Now
it’s time to enjoy the moment and then we will get on with developing this
event so we can offer the world one of the most thrilling events in Tokyo 2020,
as I’m sure our three triathlon events will be.
I don’t want to finish
without thanking all the National Federations who were fully supportive of our
project, yours is also this triumph and you will be the ones offering your
athletes the possibility of more Olympic glory. It’s now your time to push to
have the best possible teams in all Mixed Relays events.
And for all
stakeholders, organisers and cities involved in Mixed relays events, you will
have even more chances of hosting and taking part in those very special races.
We said it from the very beginning – the athletes want it; National Federations applaud it;
and fans demand it.With unpredictable
drama and the display of team pride, the Triathlon Mixed Team Relay format is triathlon
racing at its most thrilling. It is also a great chance to show the world what
we are made of - we are a federation who strongly believe in gender balance and
we showcase it at every single event.
With all my heart, thank you again for all
your contribution to this dream of having even more triathlon at the Olympics!
After a full week of work in Denmark, it was time to move to Asia to celebrate the meetings of the ITU Executive Board, held in Seoul. It was a real pleasure to have the chance to visit the city, and I would like to especially thank Mr. Justin Park, President of the Korean Federation, for the warm welcome to their country and their hospitality during our visit. I felt privileged to have had the opportunity to experience the Korean culture, cuisine, history and traditions, even if it was for a short visit.
It was a very fruitful meeting with our Members of the Board, with our minds set already on the future. We will be opening the bidding process for WTS and World Cup events for 2018 very shortly, and we are more than ready to welcome cities to our already great triathlon family.
It was also great to see that our athletes are more and more involved in the management of ITU, with Shen-Yen Hsieh, from Chinese Taipei, taking the seat of Athletes Committee at the meeting, as the Chair, Jessica Harrison, could not attend. It was also time for discussions about proposals, improvements, changes and adaptations to our competition structure. And of course to take a look at what’s out there and to see how we can all together keep on improving our sport.
The two day meetings came to an end with an extraordinary visit to the venues of Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Games, where we had the chance to meet the President of the organising committee, Mr. Hee-Beom Lee, and Vice President, Mr. Jaeyoul Kim. I’m absolutely sure that it is going to be amazing! And we even had the chance of meeting their new mascot! 고맙습니다
