ETU President Renato Bertrandi is attending the 2017 ETU Panevėžys Triathlon Youth European Championships Festival.

He is joined by Executive Board Member, Galina Shipovalova and Honorary Member as well as one of the longest-serving officers of ETU, Poland’s Kris Piątkowski.

Together yesterday evening they witnessed a mightily impressive Parade of Nations that stopped the city and saw spectators applauding the athletes as they marched, national flags held high, behind children wearing national dress.

For these young athletes, this is the start of their Triathlon Festival and will no doubt stay in their memories. When they tell their children and perhaps their children’s children, that they were part of such a Parade of Nations before they became Olympic athletes … well, this is just how dreams are made into reality.

For four days these young athletes will train together, eat together and race together and along the way they will make important new friends who will stay with them for the many years ahead of them in their Triathlon Career. Development is the biggest sense of the word.

As the ceremony finished, President Bertrandi said, “I would like to thank the organizers for putting on a truly impressive opening ceremony this evening. I have been to many Parades of Nations but tonight, seeing the children all wearing national dress, leading the many enthusiastic athletes who were carrying their national flags … well, it was just … perfect.

These young athletes, full of potential, are our new generation of Olympians. Some will succeed, some will not share that same level of success but each and every one of them will do their best for their Federations, for their families and for our sport and I am proud to be here to see them race.

Development in Europe is strong and it is events like this that are so important to the growth of our sport. I would like to wish each and every athlete a safe and fair race over the coming days and in particular, I am really looking forwards to the Relays.”