Coast tri-ing for a repeat
TRIATHLON Australia CEO Miles Stewart hopes the Gold Coast can keep its world championship winning record when the city hosts next year’s ITU World Triathlon grand final.
Stewart was 20 and living on the Gold Coast when he won his first world title at the 1991 event, held in Southport around the same location as where the 2018 race will be conducted from September 12-16.
It started a run of 16 straight appearances at the world championships in a career that also included an appearance at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and a silver at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games.
Fellow Gold Coaster Emma Moffatt won the women’s world title when it was next held in the city in 2009 and Stewart hopes it is a good omen as Australia, and the Gold Coast, look to make it three from three next year.
“There is always a bit of expectation when you’re racing in your home town,” Stewart said.
“I’d love to see some good results in the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the World Series final as well.
“We usually get many age group well.”
Added pressure will be on Gold Coasters Ashleigh Gentle and five-time paratriathlon world champion Bill Chaffey to be the next from the city to win it at home.
Gentle is ranked third in the world series and has been the leading Australian female triathlete since Moffatt’s retirement at the end of last year.
Stewart expects to have world champions as about 1300 Australian age group athletes to compete in the 2018 world titles.
“It is just an awesome experience to race in front of your home town,” Stewart said.
“To have your family there watching is as good as it can ever get.
“It’s really important for us to have major events in Australia. We are really hitting it out of the ballpark as far as major events are concerned.”