First 2014 WUC Triathlon Participants arrive in Brasília

Team GBR 

BRASILIA – The first 2014 World University Triathlon Championships delegations have started to arrive at the International Brasília Airport, yesterday, Wednesday 16 April. Athletes from Australia, Hungary, Great Britain, Switzerland and Singapore will compete this Sunday (20), from 10am in the FISU event with delegations from 14 more countries to come.

One of the biggest delegations at the WUC, Team GBR, came to Brasília with six athletes (3 men and 3 women). The chemical engineer from Loughborough University, Luke Watson (23), is the only veteran on the British team. The athlete expects a tough competition. “I hope to perform well. I know the course is hard. I am excited about the hill in the cycling track. This is my first time in Brazil, but a second time at the WUC. I was in Chinese Taipei in 2012, a complicated competition because of the heat. This time, we got ourselves well-prepared for Brasília, training in a heat chamber that simulates the climate here”, Watson commented.

Team HUN

Hungary participates with two athletes, Zsofia Kovacs and Ezster Dudas. For Law studente Zsofia (26), this is her first competition in 2014. “This is my first time in Brazil. I want to present a better performance than in the 2008 WUC. I will do my best”, she said.

Nathan Barry (AUS)Nathan Barry (25) from Australia, the sole representative of his country, was the last to arrive at the city on Wednesday. The tournament on Sunday will finish a cycle of six months competitions for the triathlete.  “This will be a tough and exciting race, especially when we go up the hill on the cycling track. I want to close with a good resulting  this race.”

The three biggest WUC teams with nine athletes each, Japan, United States and host Brazil will arrive in the Brazilian Federal Capital City today, Thursday 17 April. Today also takes place the 2014 WUC Triathlon Official Opening Ceremony, at 19h in the Centro de Atendimento ao Turista, at the Praça dos Três Poderes. Local Government authorities, FISU and CBDU delegates, the delegates of the participating countries as well as representatives of the 2019 Summer Universiade OC will attend the event.

(Source: Everton Melo, CBDU Press Officer)