PATCO Selects U.S. To Host 2014 Championships

Elite triathletes from the Americas and Caribbean nations will gather for the 2014 ITU Pan American Triathlon Confederation (PATCO) Championships on May 31-June 1 in Dallas, Texas.

Read the announcement from USA Triathlon below:

Athletes from 38 National Federation members of PATCO, including top athletes from Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Cuba and others will be represented at the event.

In making the announcement, Jaime Cadaval, PATCO Secretary General said, “We look forward to returning our Championships to the U.S. next year, especially to the internationally-recognized Dallas area that has been supporting triathlon events now for over 30 years.”

The elite draft-legal Olympic-distance championship races will highlight an exciting weekend of activities in Dallas, which has hosted ITU Pan American Cup events for the past two years. Juniors, Under-23 athletes and age-groupers are also expected to compete. In addition the event will also serve as the PATCO Paratriathlon Championships and the site will act as the host of the 2014 PATCO Congress.

The elite race would kick-off the qualification period for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, allowing athletes to earn valuable points on behalf of their national federation that eventually help determine the number of Olympic spots allotted – a maximum of three men’s and three women’s spots in Rio for each nation.

“This is a great opportunity for us to welcome talented athletes from all of the PATCO countries to compete in an established venue here in the United States,” said Rob Urbach, USA Triathlon Chief Executive Officer. “We are honored to host this event as athletes begin the journey of qualifying for the 2016 Olympic team for their respective countries.”

The PATCO Triathlon Championships were first held in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in 1997. This will the first PATCO Championships hosted by the United States since 2009 in Oklahoma City, Okla.

PHOTOS: Dallas ITU Pan American Cup

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