Derailed triathlon finale to return
Organizers reach deal to reschedule for August 2021
This was supposed to be the month.
Instead of Edmonton sports fans sitting at home in their fan caves watching a steady stream of Stanley Cup playoff games emanating from an empty Roger Place, the city was supposed to be crawling with triathletes from around the world.
Instead of NHL hockey with no fans in the stands, the populace was projected to be lining the routes and filling Hawrelak Park to celebrate the welcome-the-world event.
The Aug. 17-23 International Triathlon Union Edmonton 2020 World Triathlon Series grand final and world championships was, of course, wiped out along with the entire series.
Tuesday, the Edmonton organizing committee was able to announce next year’s WTS grand final and world championships would be held here. To make that happen, they had to get contracts rewritten with Bermuda and Abu Dhabi, UAE, who had previously been awarded the 2021 and ’22 events.
“We had an expected 3,500 age group athletes coming to Edmonton, plus coaches and family members, bringing the total number of visitors to more than 6,500. Indications before this happened were that the U.S. team included about 900 people,” World Triathlon Edmonton general manager Stephen Bordeau said of the Do North-promoted event. “We are excited to announce we’ll be returning one year from now with the same expectations.”
The organizers of the event that had already raised the funding to cover a $13-million budget announced Tuesday it will be held with virtually the same dates next year, Aug. 17-22.
But was thought given to follow Regina’s lead with the cancellation of the 2020 Grey Cup and choosing to host it instead in 2022, to give more wriggle room regarding the coronavirus pandemic and for people’s personal finances to bounce back and willingness to travel again increased? In answer to my question on the virtual media conference on Zoom, Bordeau said there definitely was a discussion about holding it in 2022 instead of 2021.
“There was the thought of holding back for 2022 knowing that things would be more normal in regards to travel and stuff. After looking at it and talking to different stakeholders, we decided it was in our best interest and the interest of the city to go forward with the 2021 plan.
“As things develop over the next 12 months, we’ll see how things go. If there’s another bridge we need to cross next summer, then we’ll look at it.
“We know that a grand final in 2021 is not going to be the same as we were originally planning for 2020. The realities of COVID and the realities of people’s unwillingness to travel may still be there in 2021,” he said, also pointing out the desire to be able to be free to do that again may have the opposite effect. “Part of our decision-making was reaching out to the large federations in the U.S., Australia, Great Britain and across Canada. The overwhelming response was that there is pent-up energy from all the athletes to race. They want to be racing. They want to get back to it and they want to be out.
“Regardless, we intend to be more committed to Edmontonians because we see the scope of energy in Edmonton that’s there and to be outside and embrace the experience.”
Ideally, the combination of the two could make for a bigger and better event, but the plan is to make it work either way.
“We are confident that through our partnership with government officials and our local health authority, that we can create a safe, secure environment for athletes, spectators and delegates while maintaining the fun, friendly and professional feel that has been experienced in Edmonton during the 20 years of playing host to international triathlon events,” said Bordeau. In addition to being the championship of the WTS featuring the athletes coming here directly from the Tokyo Olympics, the event has a projected economic impact of $35 million. It will be broadcast to 160 nations. The grand final in Edmonton will follow other series stops in Abu Dhabi; Yokohama, Japan; Leeds, England; Montreal and Hamburg named to this point.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS CALLED OFF FOR JULY
Special Olympics Alberta has cancelled the Special Olympics Alberta Summer Games 2021, originally scheduled to take place from July 9-11 in Strathcona County, due to the social and financial impact of COVID -19.
Instead, they will be hosting the Special Olympics Alberta Winter Games there in February 2023.
“We believe this is the best decision for our athletes and for our host community,” said Special Olympics Alberta CEO Johnny Byrne. “Strathcona County has been a tremendous partner and we are thrilled to have their unwavering support as we begin our planning for the next provincial games.”