Nottingham to host Olympic triathlon qualification event

Nottingham is set to host prospective Tokyo Olympians to the city next summer for the inaugural Accenture World Triathlon Mixed Relay Nottingham as the ITU announces its global Mixed Relay Series.

The evening event is set to take place on Thursday 7 June and will see some of the world’s top triathlon quartets dive into the River Trent, before racing around Victoria Embankment on both bike and foot, just two days before they head north to take on the British leg of the ITU World Triathlon Series in Leeds.

Triathlon Mixed Relay will make its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games, making the event in Nottingham a top priority for nations looking to secure the first points on offer to qualify their spots on the start line. The Accenture World Triathlon Mixed Relay Nottingham was named by the ITU as the first of two qualification events taking place in 2018, in addition to the ITU Mixed Relay World Championships and the Continental Championships.

Nottingham was introduced to the 2furious version of the sport back in September, where 15,000 fans gathered on a sunny Victoria Embankment to watch the best of Britain’s triathletes battle to lift the first Accenture British Triathlon Mixed Relay Cup. This time, the world’s best 17 teams from across the world will gather to take on a leading British quartet.

Emma McGuigan, senior managing director at Accenture, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the very first Accenture World Triathlon Mixed Relay Nottingham in 2018. This unique format of the sport truly embodies Accenture’s belief in inclusive and diverse teams working together and we’re proud to be part of triathlon’s innovation.”

Andy Salmon, British Triathlon chief executive, said: “Nottingham was a fantastic host of this year’s Accenture British Triathlon Mixed Relay Cup and we are thrilled to be back again in 2018, this time to showcase even more triathlon talent from across the globe.

“With the added incentive of the opportunity to pick up vital Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifying points, Nottingham can expect performances of the highest quality from some of the world’s top sporting heroes.”

Councillor Dave Trimble, Nottingham City Council portfolio holder for leisure and culture, said: “We are very excited by this wonderful announcement from the ITU and look forward to once again showcasing the Olympic discipline of mixed relay triathlon in the City, welcoming teams from across the world to Nottingham.

“We will build on the huge success of the event last September and look forward to welcoming thousands of people to come and both watch and take part in the action.”