USA Triathlon Super Sprint Series Coming to Las Vegas on Sept. 19 | Sports Destination Management

USA Triathlon Super Sprint Series Coming to Las Vegas on Sept. 19

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Jun 19, 2013
Sport's Newest Format to be Televised on Universal Sports

USA Triathlon, in conjunction with KANGA Productions, is pleased to announce it will host the second installment of the 2013 USA Triathlon Super Sprint Series on Thursday, Sept. 19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The event, officially designated as the 2013 USA Triathlon Elite Sprint National Championships, will be televised nationally by Universal Sports Network. Air dates and other details will be announced.

Contested in a double super-sprint format, professional athletes will complete two continuous, non-stop circuits of the same course, each comprised of a 300-meter pool swim, 5-mile bike and 1.5-mile run. Qualifying heats will be held throughout the day, with B finals to begin at 5:30 p.m. PDT and A finals to follow at 7:30 p.m.

 Also to be referenced as the Super Sprint Triathlon Grand Prix, the race will take place during Interbike, the largest annual cycling trade show in North America, allowing endurance industry leaders to experience the engaging course design firsthand.

"USA Triathlon is thrilled to partner with KANGA Productions and Universal Sports, while presenting the second race of this year's inaugural USA Triathlon Super Sprint Series. The event is designed to be extremely television and spectator friendly," said Rob Urbach, USA Triathlon CEO.

The invitation-only pro field, consisting of 20 male and 20 female athletes, will compete for a total of $30,000 in prize money.  A $20,000 prize purse will be shared equally between the overall male and female fields, with the top-10 finishers being rewarded in each division. There will also be a $10,000 prize purse shared among the top-five men's and women's U.S. athletes as part of the USA Triathlon Elite Sprint National Championships.

To be eligible for invitation, athletes must be a current USA Triathlon elite license holder or an international professional. A minimum of 50 percent of the field will be reserved for U.S. athletes, providing an opportunity for the nation's emerging and Olympic-level triathletes to enhance draft-legal cycling skills and race tactics.

The race format has previously attracted top Americans, including Olympians Jarrod Shoemaker (Clermont, Fla.) and Gwen Jorgensen (St. Paul, Minn.), as well as a number of the world's most talented short-course professional athletes such as London 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Erin Densham (Australia), Kris Gemmell (New Zealand) and Brendan Sexton (Australia).

Visit usatriathlon.org/supersprintseries or sstrigp.com for more information, including a full event schedule. For sponsorship information, contact Marc Lees at marc@sstrigp.com. For media inquiries, contact Jessica Weidensall at jweidensall@webershandwick.com, or Lindsay Wyskowski at lindsay.wyskowski@usatriathlon.org.  

About USA Triathlon: Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon - the fastest growing sport in the U.S. Olympic Movement - as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 races and connects with more than 510,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches, and race directors on the grassroots level, 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 Summer Olympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

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