An ITU/PATCO Level II Coaches Course took place from 20th to 24th September in Guatapé, Colombia. A total of 19 coaches from Argentina, Aruba, USA, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil participated in the event to increase their skills and knowledge for the development of the sports in the region.

ITU Sport Development Manager, Alan Ley, Alberto Garcia from the Spanish Triathlon Federation, and Rodrigo Milazzo of PATCO led the five-day course by conducting presentations and practical training sessions. The course venue was set in the Hotel Hosteria Los Recuerdos, located a few kilometers outside of Guatape, where participants had easy access to a swimming pool, trails to run on, and rolling hills to cycle on.

The Level II course is designed for coaches who train Junior and U23 athletes competing in Continental and World Cup events, with the ultimate goal being the Olympic Games. Not only are all participants provided coaching sessions in swim, bike and run, the importance of communication and networking is also emphasised during the course.

Rodrigo Milazzo, said:
“This was a very good experience, exciting and rewarding, not only because we are in the process of delivering the real purpose of sport development in the region, but mainly because we are engaged with incredible coaches who we know. Together, we will make a huge difference in the development and growth of the sport at many different levels in the Americas for the years to come.”