The spa center of Karlovy Vary will once again turn into the most beautiful and hardest triathlon track in the world! On the weekend of 8.-10. In September, the CITY TRIATHLON of Karlovy Vary will take place in the West Bohemian city – the highlight of the program will be the World Cup in the Olympic triathlon on Sunday. Nine Czech representatives will compete at the start of the prestigious race, as well as Olympic champion Gwen Jorgensen or Morgan Pearson, the silver medalist from the last World Championship final race. The packed weekend program also includes races for children and the general public.
CITY TRIATHLON 2022, III. part: Czech Cup, Age Groups. | Photo: Diary/Daniel Seifert
Valuable points for Olympic qualification and prize money in the amount of 60,000 dollars will be competed for this weekend at the CITY TRIATHLON of Karlovy Vary. The World Cup will take place in the Czech Republic for the seventh time in a row and once again attracted big stars to the start. Among the main favorites will be Gwen Jorgensen, the Olympic champion from Rio de Janeiro and the two-time world champion who returned to triathlon this year after a maternity break. And her form keeps growing! During the past weekend, she completely dominated the World Cup race in Valencia. “I was inspired by the mixed relay silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Now I aspire to be a part of the US team for the Paris Olympics. I believe that our team can be even higher on the podium,” says Jorgensenová, who in Karlovy Vary has a chance to gain significant points in the Olympic qualification ranking.
Her biggest competitors will include, for example, German Lisa Tertschová (current European vice-champion), Italian Bianca Seregniová (1st SP Weihai 2023, third in Karlovy Vary 2021 and second 2022), Dutch Rachel Klamerová (4th Olympic Games Tokyo) or Swiss Julie Derronová ( 1. SP Karlovy Vary 2021, repeatedly TOP 10 at the WC).
The domestic fans are hoping for the success of the trio of Czech triathletes: Petra Kuříková has already won the World Cup series (Pontevedra 2022), and in Karlovy Vary she was fourth best (2019). Tereza Zimovjanová will also fight for another success, who, like Kuříková, is within reach of participating in the Olympic Games in Paris. Her best finish in Karlovy Vary was last year’s 10th place. Will she be able to improve it this year?
WILL YOU FIND YOURSELF? The triathlon Olympic appetizer was provided by the Czech Cup in the spa
The premiere awaits Michaela Štěrbová. The medical student has only been involved in triathlon for two years, yet she has already managed to establish herself on the international scene. This year, for the first time, he will go up Zámecký vrch seven times, a sharp climb that makes the race in Karlovy Vary the most difficult course on the world triathlon calendar. “That hill will probably hurt a lot. When I ride it for the fourth or fifth time, it will be even more painful. I think it will be a critical place for all of us,” he says with a smile.
Six Czech representatives will enter the men’s race: Jan Volár, Tomáš Zikmund, David Martin, Tomáš Kříž, Filip Václavík and Filip Michálek.
The biggest favorites will then include the American Morgan Pearson, who was sixth at the recent Olympic test event in Paris, the Swiss Max Studer (9th Olympic Games Tokyo) or the British Samuel Dickinson with the German Lass Nygaard Priester, who already managed to win in Karlovy Vary.
The participants of the World Cup will first have to swim 1500 meters in the Rolava leisure area. This is followed by a 40km cycling section, during which the competitors will move to the spa center, where they will ride seven circuits. In each of them, they climb to Zámecký vrch, fly blocks along the Teplé river and also enjoy the wonderful city center with its famous colonnades. The final standings will be decided by a 10km run with the finish at Divadelní náměstí, where the second depot and race center will also be located.
There will be a large grandstand near the finish line, which is free to enter. Spectators will be able to watch the race on a large screen directly from it. However, they can also cheer on the live broadcast of ČT Sport. “I definitely recommend all fans to come and watch directly in Karlovy Vary. Our race is known for its great atmosphere, which is praised by triathletes from all over the world every year. Moderator Dan Stach also contributes to it, who knows how to excite the spectators and the competitors,” says Vladimír Malý, race director. The women’s race will start at 10 a.m., the men’s at 3 p.m.
Source: CITY TRIATHLON Karlovy Vary
On Saturday you race, on Sunday you cheer
The racing program will start in Karlovy Vary already on Friday, when the Czech Pupils’ Cup will take place in Rolava. Also on Saturday morning, children will compete – the Geis Baby Duathlon is intended for the smallest athletes who will enjoy a combination of running and cycling. However, they will also race on bouncers or tricycles. At the same time, they can also take part in a relay race with their parents.
Saturday afternoon will belong to amateur and recreational triathletes, who will have an Age Groups race. It is part of the Czech Cup, but there will be complete beginners at its start. They will enjoy the same courses and the same professional conditions as the World Cup participants, but their race distances will be half – 750m swimming, 20km cycling and 5km running. Males and females go to the track separately so that they can take turns watching their offspring.
One of the participants in this race will be the elite Czech marathoner Marcela Joglová. The Olympian from Tokyo wants to devote herself fully to triathlon after the games in Paris, so the race in Karlovy Vary will be her first sharp test. “Just a month ago I was hoping that I could achieve a good result, but I haven’t been swimming much lately, so I will mainly want to enjoy the beautiful atmosphere and the track,” she says.
Participants and spectators will be able to enjoy a rich accompanying program on both days. It includes, for example, a concert by the band Top Dream Company (Saturday, 8:30 p.m., Theater Square), fun attractions for children or a production of the Red Bull Saurus car.
In order for spectators to fully enjoy Sunday’s World Cup races, a special shuttle service will be prepared for them between Theater Square and the Rolava leisure area. The timetable and more information about the race can be found on the website www.citytriathlon.cz.
Closures and Restrictions
Karlovy Vary will once again experience an event which, in terms of scope and importance, is one of the largest sporting events in the Czech Republic. In order for it to take place without complications, its organization will request the necessary traffic restrictions. “We greatly appreciate the patience and understanding of the residents of Karlovy Vary. In close cooperation with the City Hall of Karlovy Vary and the city police, we will try to ensure that the closures limit traffic in the city to the smallest possible extent,” promises Vladimír Malý.
Theater Square:
Friday 8/9 from 8:00 a.m. – Monday 11/9/2023 until 12:00 p.m. – closure of the main area of the square. Public transport buses do not go to Divadelní náměstí – the stop has been moved to Lázní I, it will not be possible to park anywhere on Divadelní náměstí. Preserved passage along the “ring” around the park – Divadelní street – Vřídelní street. Complete closure of Theater Square including the “ring” at the times:
Saturday: 9/9 from 14:00 to 20:00
Sunday: 9/10 from 9:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and from 2:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – Mariánskolázeňská (from the Lázní I. building) New meadow with a right-of-way for vehicles “With a CITY TRIATLON permit”. It will not be possible to park in Nová Louka Street from 9/9/2023 8:00 a.m. to 9/10/2023 until 12:00 a.m.
Friday, September 8
ŽACTVA CZECH CUP (12:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.: Třeboňská → Mlýnská → Čankovská (from the carousel headquarters) → Železniční → cycle paths around Rolava in the Čankovská housing estate).
Saturday, September 9
AGE GROUPS, RELAYS, PARATRIATHLON, JUNIORS (13:25–14:25 and 16:55–18:00: Třeboňská → Mlýnská → Čankovská → Rosnická → Merklínská → Sedlecká → Jáchymovská → Kladní → U Spořitelny → Ostrovský most → Osvobození embankment; 13:45–15:30 and 17:15–19:00: November 17 bridge → IP Pavlov → Karl IV → Vřídelní → Theater Square → Market Square → Castle Hill → Peter the Great → Křižíkov → King George → Dr. David Becher (part) → TG Masaryk → embankment Liberation; 2:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.: Mariánskolazaňská (to the intersection at Lázní I) → Goethe’s trail).
Sunday, September 10
ELITE WORLD CUP COMPETITIONS (9:45–10:40, 14:45–15:40: Třeboňská → Mlýnská → Čankovská → Rosnická → Merklínská → Sedlecká → Jáchymovská → Kladní → U Spořitelny → Ostrovský most → Osvobození embankment; 9:45–11:45, 14:45–16:40: November 17 Bridge → IP Pavlov → Charles IV → Vřídelní → Theater Square → Market Square → Castle Hill → Peter the Great → Křižíkov → King George → Dr. David Becher (part) → TG Masaryk → embankment Liberation; 11:00–12:45, 16:00–17:45: Marketplace → Spa → Mlýnské embankment → Zahradní → Sadov).
