ITU Appoints Paratriathlon Head of Classification

Vancouver, Canada - 1 October 2010: ITU today officially announced the appointment of Marguerite Christophers of New Zealand as the Head of Classification for Paratriathlon. Classification governs physically challenged competition categories, which are established based on physical disabilities. In Paratriathlon, athletes are classified into one of six categories.

Already a member of ITU's Paratriathlon Committee, the duties of Christophers' new post include administering and coordinating all classification matters relating to Paratriathlon and overseeing classifier training and certification. Head of Classification is a voluntary role and Christophers will continue as Paralympics New Zealand Classification Coordinator. She has also served as Head Classifier for New Zealand Paratriathlon and Paracycling.

Continuing to drive towards inclusion in the Paralympic Games, ITU has supported the development and growth of Paratriathlon for over 15 years. A World Championship has been contested every year since 2003. Paratriathlon has already grown to unprecedented levels with 12 events in 2010, up from 7 in 2009. Last month ITU staged the world's largest Paratriathlon in Budapest, Hungary at the World Championships.

ITU formally submitted an application in July for the inclusion of Paratriathlon into the Paralympic Programme, beginning with the 2016 Games in Rio. The 120-page dossier was submitted by ITU with passionate letters of support by a group of elite Paratriathletes. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) will decide which sports will be added to the 2016 Paralympic Games in December.