ITU awards 2014 ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships to Weihai, China

 The International Triathlon Union (ITU) today named Weihai as the host city for the 2014 ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships.

 The 20th edition of the biggest event on the ITU long distance triathlon calendar will be held in the coastal city of Weihai in China's northeastern Shandong province. Beginning in 2010, Weihai has hosted annual ITU long distance triathlon World Series events including this year's Weihai ASTC Long Distance Triathlon Asian Championships and ITU LD Triathlon World Series Event on 22-23 September 2012.

In addition to crowning the 2014 ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Champions, the event will also include LD world championships in paratriathlon as well as hosting LD age-group triathletes from around the world.

Long distance triathlon is a 4km swim, 120km bike and 30km run, with this year's World Championship event fast approaching set for 29 July 2012 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.

The 2013 ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships will be staged in Belfort, France on 1-2 June 2013. The exact dates for the 2014 Weihai ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships are yet to be confirmed.