ITU has committed to support the development of paratriathlon for over 15 years. There are currently five sport classes for athletes with an impairment to compete in over the sprint paratriathlon distance of 750m swim, 20km bike (hand bike/tandem), 5km run (racing wheelchair) at all ITU Paratriathlon sanctioned events each year.

Paratriathlon has been accepted for inclusion for the IPC’s 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Below are 10 reasons why Paratriathlon fits within the Paralympic movement:

• Paratriathlon offers a unique and inclusive global opportunity for athletes with the recognized types of impairments to perform at elite levels in a modern, exciting and dynamic sport.
• It is close to the environment, universally attractive (www.facebook.com/worldtriathlon ) and understandable to spectators and media alike.
• Paratriathlon is accessible, equitable, viable, sustainable and well balanced in every way imaginable, incorporating, in its subdisciplines, three of the most prolific and recognisable medal sports in the history of the Paralympic Games.
• The International Triathlon Union has, since inauguration, actively demonstrated its readiness to develop and evolve, and has encouraged athletes to achieve much more than just their individual sporting goals, whatever they may be.
• Triathlon is a rare sport in which able-bodied athletes compete, side-by-side, with disabled athletes at both the national and international levels.
• While paratriathlon has the potential to be the fastest growing sport in the Paralympic Movement, in that process we are accomplishing something that goes well beyond the expansion of Para-sport: we are helping to create inspirational role models for the world.
• Ethical governance, fair play and mutual respect belong to the ethos of our organisation.
• ITU has long upheld the principles of equality of opportunity, recognition and reward to create uplifting, motivational and life changing experiences for all who compete in our sport.
• The triathlon world is inspired by IPC’s invitation to live and breathe all of the Paralympic Programme Guiding Principles.
• ITU therefore aspires, on behalf of our charismatic international paratriathletes of today and tomorrow, to be selected as a programme sport in the Paralympic Games.

The goals of the ITU Paratriathlon Committee are:

• To oversee the development of paratriathlon within the triathlon community by growing participation at all levels, building a pathway to, developing, elite performance, evolving events and building profile.
• To upholding ethical principles and fair play at all times including moving towards evidence based assessment of Classification.
• To work with the IPC in preparation for the debut of Paratriathlon in the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and to foster the growth of Paratriathlon as it becomes an integral and contributing part of the Paralympic movement.