Perth to host ITU Triathlon World Championships in 2000 [Audio]

2/9/98

Perth is to play a key role in Australia's hunt for an early gold medal at the Sydney Olympics.

This follows an announcement by Tourism Minister Norman Moore that the world's best triathletes would come back to Perth to contest the ITU Triathlon World Championships on April 29 and 30 in the Year 2000.

Mr Moore said the championship would be a perfect curtain-raiser for the Olympic Games.

"Triathlon will make its Olympic debut over the first two days of the 2000 Olympics," he said.

"With Australia dominating the world triathlon stage at the moment - Victorian Jo King took out the world title in Lausanne at the weekend and five of our men are in the world's top 10 - an early gold medal at the Olympics is a strong possibility.

"The ITU decision to name Perth as the host city for the 2000 world championships means that Western Australians will get the chance to again see possible Olympic medal winners in action."

Mr Moore said the decision to choose Perth as the host city for 2000 also would profile Perth as an ideal pre-Olympic Games training venue.

He said it was a remarkable achievement by Eventscorp to have its bid for the 2000 championships backed by the International Triathlon Union so soon after the very successful world championships here in November last year.

"That event attracted 1300 competitors from over 30 nations and was hailed as the most successful triathlon world championship ever held," the Minister said.

"About 50,000 spectators lined the streets to see Australians win both events - Emma Carney, Michellie Jones and Jackie Gallagher finishing 1, 2 and 3 in the women's race with the men's winner, Chris McCormack, one of four Australians to finish in the top 10."

Mr Moore said it was estimated the 2000 event would generate $14 million in economic impact for the State. Images of Western Australia would be incorporated into international television coverage of the event.

The Minister said this past 12 months had seen Perth host world championships events in sports like track cycling, windsurfing and swimming as well as the first ever rugby union test.

The events had generated more than $146 million of economic impact for the State.

"Perth's credentials as a host city are outstanding and I look forward to another world-class success story with the return of the ITU Triathlon World Championships," Mr Moore said.