Building on a long-standing cooperation between the European Triathlon Union (ETU) and Challenge Family, in 2016 the official European Half Distance Triathlon Championships will be held in Austria for the first time on 21 August 2016.
The addition of Challenge Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl to next year’s ETU schedule follows the confirmation that Challenge Pozna? in Poland will be the host for the 2016 ETU European Long Distance Triathlon Championships.
The Challenge Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl event in Austria comprises a 1.9K swim, 90K of cycling and 21.1K of running. In making the announcement, Challenge Family CEO Zibi Szlufcik said he was delighted by the selection of the Tyrolean tourist region as a venue for the European Championships.
“Challenge Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl has for several years now stood out for its brilliant organization down to the last detail and its breathtaking course through the incredibly beautiful Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl triathlon region,” said Szlufcik.
He continued, “The joint decision by the ÖTRV, ETU and Challenge Family to hold the 2016 ETU European Championships there is a natural consequence of many years of experience and untiring focus on the athletes. I am glad to be able to continue the extremely successful cooperation with the ETU in 2016 at Challenge Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl.”
In autumn 2014, the ÖTRV (Österreichischer Triathlonverband – Austria Triathlon Union) committee, after productive first talks, had given its consent for Challenge Walchsee to stage an ÖTRV/ETU event. Today’s announcement confirms that the 2016 ETU European Half Distance Tri Champs will be hosted in Austria.
Approximately 2,000 athletes are expected in 2016, headed by a big Austrian delegation. “We are happy to have high-calibre international championships in our country in 2016,” said ÖTRV President Walter Zetting and the Tyrolean Triathlon President Julius Skamen in a joint statement.
They added, “We aim at motivating many Austrians for this event to use this home event in the Tyrol for athletic achievements.”
As well as the Elite European Championships for women and men, the ETU European Age Group Championships will also take place, along with paratriathlon and numerous supporting events that are scheduled within the scope of the European Championships.
The selection as the venue for the European Championships is seen as particularly important for the Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl region. “With the selection as a venue for the 2016 European Championships the organizers of the Challenge Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl have landed a coup,” announced the Mayor of Walchsee, Dieter Wittliger.
He continued, “As mayor of Walchsee I am of course proud that this international triathlon in the Kaiserwinkl, with the start and finish area in our municipality, gains even more importance by being the 2016 official ETU European Championships. This reinforces our reputation as an internationally approved triathlon venue.”
Athletes can get a test run on the 2016 championships course at this year’s Challenge Walchsee on 23 August 2015 – run with more than 1,000 participating athletes, as well as offering qualification slots for the upcoming European Championships.
The Chairman of the Kaiserwinkl tourist board, Gerd Erharter, joined the well-wishers immediately after the decision was announced. “We are delighted that the already popular and renowned Challenge Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl can now even enhance its prestige by hosting the 2016 European Championships. This is a token of esteem for years of excellent work and the extraordinary quality standard of this event,” he said.
The European Championships are organized by the AGO-Sports with Andreas Klingler an experienced organizer heading the European Championships project. This year Challenge Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl is organized by Klingler and his team for the sixth time.
“We are pleased that the Challenge Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl was selected by the ETU to hold the 2016 European Middle Distance Championships,” said Andreas Klingler.
“We can guarantee our athletes a perfect organization, a dreamlike backdrop and a demanding and fair course. Having already welcomed triathlon top stars in the last years, we are looking forward to welcoming the European elite and to hosting an exciting race among the pros as well as the many age group athletes.”
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