USA Triathlon and Arizona State University announced that the 2020 USA Triathlon Age Group Draft-Legal National Championships, initially scheduled to take place Nov. 14 in Tempe, Arizona, have been rescheduled to April 2021 — as a World Qualifier rather than a National Championship — due to ongoing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Age Group Draft-Legal Nationals were set to be held as part of ASU’s Sun Devil Draft-Legal Classic, in conjunction with the Women’s Collegiate Triathlon National Championships. Due to continued limits on mass gatherings in the Tempe and Phoenix areas, ASU and USA Triathlon today determined that the age group event can no longer take place in 2020. The 2020 Women’s Collegiate Triathlon season — including the National Championships — was canceled last month.
The 2020 Age Group Draft-Legal Nationals would have qualified top finishers for the 2021 ITU Age Group Sprint Triathlon World Championships, slated for next October in Bermuda. The rescheduled World Qualifier event will take place April 9, 2021, in Tempe, in conjunction with the USA Triathlon Collegiate Club National Championships. While no longer considered a National Championship, the Age Group Draft-Legal World Qualifier will qualify top finishers in each age group to represent Team USA at the 2021 ITU Age Group Sprint Triathlon Worlds.
Separately, a 2021 Age Group Draft-Legal National Championships will be held next fall, with the date and location to be determined. That event will qualify top finishers for the 2022 ITU Age Group Sprint Triathlon World Championships in Abu Dhabi.
“While we will miss the chance to gather the nation’s fastest amateur draft-legal athletes in Tempe this fall, USA Triathlon is grateful for the support of ASU and the City of Tempe in finding a solution for a rescheduled world qualifying event in spring 2021,” said Brian D’Amico, Director of Events at USA Triathlon. “We look forward to returning to Tempe Town Lake in April for an action-packed weekend of multisport at the age-group and collegiate levels.”
Registration for the 2021 Age Group Draft-Legal World Qualifier, as well as the 2021 Collegiate Club National Championships taking place the same weekend in Tempe, will open later this year.
Updates from USA Triathlon regarding COVID-19 are available at usatriathlon.org/covid-19. USA Triathlon continues to monitor the situation surrounding COVID-19, while following the guidance of local authorities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), when making decisions regarding the status of USA Triathlon events and programs. Any further potential changes to USA Triathlon’s National Championships event calendar will be communicated immediately.
About USA Triathlon - USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 events and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors – as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation – USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
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