Triathlon News & Notes: Triathlete Hit & Run, an Olympic Curler Takes on Tri, World Triathlon Champs Dates Set, and More

This article originally appeared on Triathlete

World Championship dates, locations set for 2023

Mark your calendars: World Triathlon approved locations for several events in 2023. Pontevedra, Spain will serve as the closing event of the World Triathlon Championship Series in late September, while Hamburg, Germany will host the Sprint and Relay World Championships in July, and the Multisport Championships will be in late April and early May on the Spanish island of Ibiza. All of these events will have both elite and age-group events; the world championship races will require qualification in order to enter.

Ironman introduces Tulsa 70.3

This week, Ironman announced 70.3 Tulsa, an inaugural event that will take place on Sunday, May 21 in conjunction with the full-distance Ironman in the same city. Situated on the Arkansas River between the Osage Hills and the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in northeast Oklahoma, Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state, and, according to Eric Atnip, Ironman's Regional Director, it "has proven itself to be both an exciting and popular destination for athletes and their support crews." Registration for 2023 Ironman 70.3 Tulsa is now open.

Malibu Triathlon draws celebs, raises $1 million for Children's Hospital

Last weekend's Malibu Triathlon--an Olympic-distance race held on the shores of Southern California's Zuma Beach--continued its tradition of being the most star-studded race on the circuit. Boasting a celebrity division, this year's event drew well-known names like actors Rob Riggle (Dumb and Dumber, Holey Moley), Max Greenfield (Veronica Mars, New Girl), Karla Souza (Home Economics). Nick Viall (The Bachelor) teamed up with pro triathlete Tim Don and Non Stanford to form "Team Don't Text Your Ex Happy Birthday" (and win the celebrity relay race), and a trio from the new all-female wrestling league, WOW, also competed. All together, the event raised more than $1 million to benefit the Children's Hospital Los Angeles' Pediatric Cancer Research Program which is focused on curing and preventing life-threatening forms of childhood cancer.

USAT Foundation reports record-breaking fundraising

The USA Triathlon Foundation--the charitable arm of the U.S. governing body of sport-- shared impressive fundraising stats this week: The group has raised more than $2 million over the past year from nearly 3,000 individual supporters across the U.S. That number doubles the previous 12-month record and is more than the combined total raised between 2014, the year the Foundation was established, and 2020. The funds will go to encouraging youth participation, inspiring adaptive athletes, and supporting Olympic and Paralympic athletes, among other endeavors. Said Stephen Ban, Chair of the USA Triathlon Foundation Board of Trustees: "Empowering and enabling people to discover, participate, and develop in the sport who otherwise may not have the opportunity--that provides a reward that's not only fulfilling but also personal."

Curling champ sweeps her way into triathlon

Canadian Joanne Courtney, a 2018 Olympian in curling, recently took on triathlon after saying she began to lose her passion for and joy for her former sport. The 33-year-old, a registered nurse and mom, is being coached by Taren "Triathlon Taren" Gessell and this week chatted with TSN about her transition. Earlier this month, Courtney won her age-group at the Triathlon Esprit de Montreal, finishing the half-Iron distance in 5:22:14 and placed second in her age-group at the PTO Canadian Open (sprint distance) in July.

In Scottsdale, a search for driver in a hit-and-run involving triathlete

Authorities in Scottsdale, Ariz. are looking for the driver who fled the scene after hitting a cyclist riding on a local road, forcing him off his bike, and then dragging the bike for about a mile. The victim, Jason Ottman, was on a triathlon training ride when he was hit around 4:30 a.m. despite wearing reflective clothing and using lights on the front and back of his bike. The force of the impact resulted in a broken shoulder, ribs, and back for Ottman, who was due to complete his first Ironman soon. After police found Ottman's bike approximately one mile east of the crash site, they were led to believe that the driver fled the scene with the bicycle still attached to their vehicle. There is no suspect or vehicle information at this time. Anyone with information is asked to call 602-876-1011.

Podcast Notes

• The World Triathlon podcast commemorates "World Coach Day" by bringing in Brazil Triathlon’s High Performance Manager Rodrigo Milazzo as well as Hungary’s Tibor Lehmann, to talk about their country's prospects in the 2024 Olympics and other major events.

• That Triathlon Life dives into co-host Paula Findlay's recent race at the PTO Open in Dallas, then answers lots of listener questions.

• Pro Tri News queues up post-race interviews from the PTO Open in Dallas, including chats with Collin Chartier, Magnus Ditlev, Sam Long, Kristian Hogenhaug, and Daniel Baekkegard.

• Two-time Ironman World Champion (and the first man ever to break eight hours in Kona) Patrick Lange of Germany talks with Greg Bennett about his journey in the sport and his plans for the world champs this year.

• The Working Triathlete podcast brings on Dr. Jim Taylor, Ph.D to talk about the psychology of triathlon and how athletes can increase pain tolerance in workouts and implement strategies during races to better cope with pain.

• Pro triathlete Fenella Langridge heads to Ironwomen to talk about her electric start to the season (finishing 8th at the world champs in St. George and 2nd at Challenge Roth) and her recent struggles, which she suspects may be due to long COVID.

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