The number of Americans decreases in Havana’s Triathlon
Havana’s Triathlon is looking to expand and consolidate as an event of reference in the international schedule. At its fourth year, the organizers think they are doing fine, even though this edition of 2018 they suffered the loss of more than 400 participants from the USA, a country that in 2017 brought more than half of the contestants of the whole tournament.
In total, 500 triathletes will compete in Havana this time. A significant decrement if we take into account that last year there were 800 people participating. This has to do directly with the absence of competitors from the United States. In 2017, they had 500 triathletes and now they brought less than 100. This has to do with statements from their government saying that it was not advisable to travel to Cuba due to safety issues, another low punch from Trump’s administration against the small Caribbean Island.
“We know from some participants’ communications that their government advised them not to come to Cuba because there have been significant damages to some people that have recently visited the island”, said Jose Carrasco, the director of the tournament, who has ruled out such comments. “I have always said that there is no safest place than Cuba and that has been supported by Marisol Casado, president of the International Triathlon Union (ITU), who has chosen the island as her place to rest”, assured Carrasco to the Cuban media. He also said that the tournament, in spite of this hard blow, keeps going forward.
“With less than 400 competitors from the United States, the total amount has decreased in 300, but our event is still in good shape. The idea is to maintain this tendency and to show that we have everything guaranteed to host athletes from all over the world. As for the North-American athletes, we know that we will get them back. They really want to come and they love the circuit”, said Carrasco to the official newspapers of the island.
Apart from these details, the managers of this event consider that they have advanced in organizational matters, a fact that has been noticed in superior results in the contest, which took place in several areas of the Havana, from the west to the center of the city and had more than 32 countries involved. Among them we can mention Colombia, Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Italy, Mexico, Holland, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and of course the host, Cuba.
