ITU Announces 2015 Hall Of Fame Inductees

The International Triathlon Union (ITU) has announced seven inductees for the second annual Hall of Fame. These athletes and lifetime achievement honorees will be officially inducted into the ITU Hall of Fame at a gala held as a part of the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Chicago on Thursday, Sept. 17.

Read the announcement from Triathlon.org below:

“It is with great pleasure that I welcome these seven inductees into the ITU Hall of Fame,” said ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado. “Despite our short history of 26 years as an International Federation, ITU has been privileged to have witnessed incredible athletes accomplish amazing feats. They laid the foundation for the Federation we have grown into today.”

The induction ceremony will take place following the men’s Under23 and Junior and Age Group Sprint Distance World Championship races in Chicago.

Elite Women

Michellie Jones (AUS)
2000 Sydney Olympic Games Silver Medalist, 2 x ITU World Champion, 2006 Ironman World Champion, 2 x overall World Cup Champion

Vanessa Fernandes (POR)
2007 ITU World Championship: 1st 2007, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games silver medalist, 2 x World Cup Champion, 2 x ITU Duathlon World Champion, holds record World Cup wins with 20

Emma Snowsill (AUS)
3 x ITU World Champion, 2008 Beijing Olympic Champion, 2000 ITU World Junior Champion, 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games Champion

RELATED: The 25 Greatest Female Triathletes Of All Time

Elite Men

Hamish Carter (NZL)
2004 Athens Olympic Champion, 1998 ITU World Cup Overall Champion (1998), 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, 2 x ITU World Triathlon Championships silver medalist

Peter Robertson (AUS)
3 x ITU Triathlon World Champion, 2 x Olympian, 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, record World Cup wins with 17

Simon Whitfield (CAN)
2000 Sydney Olympic Champion, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games silver medalists, 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games Champion, 1999 Winnipeg Pan American Games bronze medalist

RELATED: The 25 Greatest Male Triathletes Of All Time

Lifetime Achievement

Chiharu Igaya (JPN)
3 x Olympic skiier, Olympic silver medallist, Japan Triathlon Union President 1994-2009, ASTC Vice President 1994 – 2009, ITU Executive Board Member 1994-2008, IOC Member 1982 – 2011; Member of the IOC Executive Board 1987-1991, 1996-2000, Made countless contributions toward the development of triathlon, including the inclusion of triathlon in the Olympics when he was an IOC Executive Board Member and the development of triathlon in Asia

Those nominated for the men’s and women’s categories were selected based on the criteria that each has a championship title in one or more ITU World Championships, Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, World Cup Series, and/or ITU World Rankings.

Lifetime Achievement Nominees were selected based on their extraordinary, long-term contributions off the field of play or through an exceptional contribution to ITU and the sport of triathlon.