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VANCOUVER
– An investment of $400,000 by the B.C. government
has helped bring the city of Vancouver the 2008 ITU Triathlon World
Championships from June 5 to 8, announced Vancouver-Burrard MLA Lorne
Mayencourt.
“The Province of British Columbia views the Championships as an important
sporting event that will provide significant benefits to the economy and local
community,” said Mayencourt. “B.C. has developed an international reputation
not only for excellence in sport hosting but also for the number of B.C.
athletes who compete at a high level such as the Olympics and World
Championships.”
The Triathlon World Championships are the final
qualifications prior to the 2008 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games this
August in Beijing, China and are expected to generate approximately $10-15
million in economic activity to the Vancouver area. More than 3,000 athletes
from 40 countries will attend the four-day championship, with over 50,000
spectators.
“It’s exciting to feel the momentum building
towards the World Championships here in Vancouver, especially against such a
fantastic backdrop of the city,” said Simon Whitfield, 2004 Olympic gold medallist
and 2008 Olympian. “Certainly it’s a huge advantage to race at home. Of
my 11 World Cup wins, I’ve won a lot of them in Canada so it definitely
helps to race in front of the home crowd.”
Whitfield is the lone male Canadian
competitor already qualified for the Summer Olympic team based on 2007
competition results. Other elite team members such as Brent McMahon, Kyle
Jones, Colin Jenkins and Paul Tichelaar, who is the top-ranked Canadian on the
2008 World Cup circuit at fifth position, will be competing for two remaining
Olympic team spots. Lauren Groves of Vancouver is the only female Canadian
elite team member to qualify based on 2007 results, while the remaining three
members of the women’s team, Victoria’s Kirsten Sweetland, Carolyn Murphy and Kathy
Tremblay, will use this event as their final opportunity to qualify for
Beijing.
The event will begin Thursday, June 5 with a parade
of nations followed by the opening ceremonies at English Bay. A decorated
grandstand along with a big screen where spectators can view parts of the race
will be located next to the start and finish lines on the corner of Denman and
Davie. The championship will conclude on Sunday, June 8 with the closing
ceremonies and awards dinner at Vanier Park.
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contact: |
Communications Manager Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts and ActNow BC 250 387-2799 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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