Fyn will play host to the gigantic ITU Multisport World Championship Festival in 2018 with no less than four World Championships staged during one week. The International Triathlon Union, ITU, has just awarded the event to Denmark following its Executive Board meeting in Japan. Canada was awarded the event in 2017. Denmark was up against three strong bids from Poland, Japan and Canada.
“The Multisport Festival is a truly innovative idea that provides multisport athletes with the opportunity to compete in multiple World Championship races. To date, age group athletes were often forced to choose between one multisport championship race over another, where as they will now be able to combine both experiences in one family-friendly spectacular week of racing. Denmark presented an excellent bid and I have no doubt they will stage a phenomenal festival,” said ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado.
“The Danish Triathlon Federation loves the concept behind the ITU Multisport Festival 2018. We look forward to cooperating with ITU, Sport Event Denmark, Sport Event Fyn and not least the local triathlon clubs and to staging four different world championships in a week. We also look forward to putting even more focus on triathlon in Denmark – and to displaying Denmark and Fyn to the international World of TRI. Last but not least, we are pleased to show that triathlon is much more than a half and a full ironman competition,” says Morten Fenger, CEO, Danish Triathlon Federation.
The ITU Multisport Festival in 2017 is the debut of a concept which will see four World Championships are staged during one week and will be staged in Canada. Denmark will stage the event in 2018.
Week of Peaks
The Danish vision is a “Week of Peaks” in 2018 on Fyn with great results, extraordinary audience experiences and a lot of involvement of the participants in the many side events.
“Four birds with one stone! We have chosen to call it the Weeks of Peaks in 2018. Between two Olympics is an ideal time to host the festival. The International Triathlon Union has shown great confidence in Denmark by awarding us their new, week-long Multisport Festival in 2018. It confirms that the Danish efforts with major international championships in many areas belong the premier league of international work of sporting events,”says Lars Lundov, CEO, Sport Event Denmark.
“The awarding of the ITU Multisport Festival to Fyn gives us a unique opportunity to emphasize that Fyn is “the island of events”. We can’t wait to make this big international event a true festival fairytale in close cooperation with our trusted partners from the Danish Triathlon Federation and Sport Event Denmark,” says Vice-President of Sport Event Fyn, Jane Jegind.
EDITORS Notes
ITU Multisport Festival 2018:
• Four world championships in one week (Cross Triathlon, Duathlon, Aquathlon and the Long Distance Triathlon)
• Launch: 2017 (Canada) 2018 (Fyn, Denmark)
• Bidders: Japan, Poland, Canada and Denmark
• Danish bid: The Danish Triathlon Federation, Sport Event Denmark and Sport Event Fyn
• In 2014: 2.107 participants in the 4 World Championships that were staged in various parts of the world