Two-Way Race for Triathlon President

(ATR) A crowded field of candidates will challenge current leadership at October’s elections of the International Triathlon Union.

President Marisol Casado, also an IOC member from Spain, will stand for a second four-year term against Kyung-Sun Yu, an ITU vice president who heads the Asian Triathlon Confederation and serves on the organizing committee for PyeongChang 2018.

Yu's campaign comes as no surprise to the ITU family, Around the Ringsis told, but ousting the incumbent could prove a tough task for the Korean.

One factor at work: whether the ITU will be willing to sacrifice its representation on the IOC and the ruling Council of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations.

Both of Casado's seats are linked to her leadership of the ITU – lose one, and the others go too.

The race for secretary general pits incumbent Loreen Barnett of Canada against Philip Schaedler of Lichtenstein as well as current VPs Antonio Alvarez of Mexico and Sarah Springman of Great Britain.

Casado and Barnett are known to work closely together, and the ITU is proud of its distinction as the only international federation for an Olympic sport to feature women in its top two posts.

Four seats on the Executive Board are up for grabs among 17 nominees, five of whom are existing EB members.

"Of note with these elections, it will be the first time the Coaches’ Committee will be elected," an ITU spokeswoman tells ATR.

A total of 16 coaches are competing for seven seats on the new-look committee, previously just a commission to which the members were appointed.

Elections for seven other committees round out the voting, slated for Oct. 23 on the heels of the World Triathlon Series Grand Final in Auckland, New Zealand.

"The only committee that will be conducted separately is the Athletes’ Committee because obviously athletes themselves vote on that," says the ITU.

Announcements of the host city for the 2014 Grand Final and the schedule for the 2013 World Triathlon Series are also on the Congress agenda.

The busy week in Auckland kicks off Thursday, Oct. 18 with a parade of nations, opening ceremony and pasta party on the waterfront.

Meetings of the ITU’s many committees and commissions follow Oct. 19 with the swimming, biking and running set to begin Oct. 20.

Grand Final races dominate the weekend schedule, followed by world championships for paratriathlon and various age groups of triathlon on Monday.

Election day comes Tuesday, Oct. 23 at the Congress, the 25th to date since the ITU’s founding in 1989.

Written by Matthew Grayson

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