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Mar
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2013 Biathle and Triathle World Championships to be hosted in Egypt
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Mar 17, 2013,
12:00 AM ET
2013 Biathle and Triathle World Championships to be hosted in Egypt
Monaco, UIPM is delighted to
announce that after careful consideration, its Executive Board has
awarded the 2013 Biathle and Triathle World Championships to Egypt. The
event is set to be held in the city of Hurghada on the Red Sea coast
from 5-6 October. This 15th edition of the tournament will mark a
watershed moment in the history of the competition with the Triathle
event added to the program for the very first time.
UIPM President Dr h.c. Klaus Schormann stated, "These
are exciting times, this is the first time Egypt will have hosted the
event and with Triathle debuting, it promises to be an edition to
remember, plus there is also no nicer setting than the Red Sea.
Furthermore, we are working hard to bring Modern Pentathlon to the wider
public and with both the Biathle and Triathle having universal appeal;
we are guaranteed to attract a whole new fan base to our sport."
As
one of the core elements of its grassroots development program, Biathle
(run-swim-run), designed as a 'Sport for All', has been practised for
over 50 years. Through Biathle, UIPM has established a competition
comprised of two fundamental components of Modern Pentathlon, running
and swimming, two of the most practised sports in the world, giving it
widespread appeal. Inexpensive to organise, simple to understand, it can
be organised practically anywhere in the world and at any time of the
year.
Now
with the introduction of new laser technology, Triathle
(run-shoot-swim) will be debuting alongside the Biathle event, giving
these World Championships a whole new dimension. This move by UIPM
confirms its drive to broaden its reach by giving as many people the
opportunity of trying out the sport. With the safe and environmentally
friendly laser shooting, this event can happen anywhere, from a school,
to a city centre or even on a beach, giving the sport a broader spectrum
of influence across the globe.
The
Biathle race works with athletes completing one-half of their total
running distance, before entering a 50 meter transition area. Athletes
then dive into the water and swim the required swimming distance before
exiting the water, putting on their shoes and running the second leg of
the run to the finish line. Juniors will run from between 500m and
1000m, then swim between 50 and 100m and then finish the race with the
same running distance. Adults run either 1km or 1.5km, swim 100 or 200m
and conclude with the same running distance again.
The
first Biathle World Championships took place in Monaco in 1999 and the
Biathle World Tour began in 2002 to include up to six competitions in
various locations throughout the year. Medals are awarded to the top
three athletes in each age group at both the World Championships and the
World Tour.