Triathlon World Cup kicks off in Astana
"This tournament is very important not only for Kazakhstan. It is important for the entire international triathlon movement. The World Cup is held for the first time in a post-Soviet country. And the fact that Kazakhstan managed to win the right to host these competitions is a great honor for us," Minister of Culture and Sport of Kazakhstan Arystanbek Mukhamediuly said at the opening ceremony.
The head of the ministry said it was not easy to gain the right of hosting the World Cup, however, there were several considerable factors in favor of Kazakhstan.
"First and foremost, tremendous credit goes to the Triathlon Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan because very weighty grounds should be given in the application for hosting such large competitions. Triathlon is developing rapidly in Kazakhstan. We have already held several competitions for amateurs and professional athletes. All this made a difference. The second is the infrastructure required for the triathlon. And the third is the large-scale involvement we have in the country, and we always crow over that," the minister said.
"The sports movement in Kazakhstan is developing day by day and not only the triathlon one. For instance, marathons are very popular now, moreover, all over Kazakhstan. We are very grateful to the Head of State for paying great attention to the development of sport in the country," Mukhamediuly added.
At the moment, the women's duathlon competition has started as the water temperature is still quite low due to weather conditions. At 3:00 p.m. male athletes who will start competing in a triathlon despite water temperature.
The 2018 Astana ITU Triathlon World Cup will last from May 19 to May 20 at the Triathlon Park. 130 athletes from 38 countries registered for the World Cup. Many of the triathletes are those of the world's top 100. They will strive for the title of the strongest triathlete in the standard distance (1500m swimming, 40km cycling, 10km running).
Besides, today's program includes children's competitions, entertainment and concert events. On May 20, there will be the Age Group (amateurs) competitions promoting and developing triathlon in Kazakhstan.
