At the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Congress in Lausanne, Switzerland on 29th August, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach showed his admiration for the modern, values-based direction of ITU under the leadership of Marisol Casado.
“ITU is maybe the International Federation that has most embraced the Olympic Agenda 2020,” said Thomas Bach in his address to the Congress.
“The IOC is proud of the close cooperation it has with the ITU in respect of good governance as well as gender equality, which is in the interests of every organisation. So, I thank Marisol Casado for all she is doing with ITU.”
The ITU President thanked Bach for his commitment and guidance, and for his admiration for the sport of triathlon and its athletes.
“The athletes are at the heart of every decision we make as an organisation and their commitment to the sport is incredible, so I am very proud of the support Thomas Bach has shown to ITU,” she said.
The 2019 ITU Congress brought together 73 member Federations and other stakeholders including the IOC.
Julie Duffus, Sustainability Manager at the IOC gave a presentation on sustainability in sport, while IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell also followed Thomas Bach onto the stage to reflect on the success of the Tokyo Test Event and look ahead to next year’s Olympic Games.
Other activities at the Congress included the announcement of the new World Cup and Paratriathlon calendars for 2020, in-depth reports from the 2019 Tokyo Test Events, a new mentorship programme and the approval of American Samoa as the 172nd member of the International Triathlon Union.
Brook Sport Consulting – led by Norman Brook, who has worked with Olympic coaches and received an MBE for his services to social development through sport – was chosen at the Congress to deliver the ITU mentorship programme across all areas of the sport, from coaches to Technical Officials, including a specific focus on women in the sport.
The organising committee of the Edmonton 2020 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final also gave a preview of their plans for next year, before the ITU Grand Final took place in Lausanne on 30 August - 1 September 2019.
Marisol Casado is speaking at Host City 2019, the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events, on 26-27 November in Glasgow.
