Age Group World Championships

The most important information to read and understand if you are interested in becoming a member of Age Group Team Canada is the team selection policy.  It outlines eligibility, how athletes are selected, and the order in which athletes are confirmed to the team. 

Triathlon Canada Age Group World Championship Team Selection Policy

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An expression of interest is the mechanism by which athletes confirm their intention to compete and accept a place at the Age Group World Championships if they qualify. By expressing intent, the results can be filtered to a final list of athletes who wish to compete at the World Championships, and places can be “rolled-down”.  The application will open 3 weeks before each race and close the day before the event.

All athletes seeking to compete for a place must submit an Expression of Interest prior to each qualifying event. An online page will be available for each event and discipline.

There will be a $25 fee to complete the Expression of Interest to encourage only serious athletes to apply for a spot. The $25 fee will not be refunded for athletes who are not successful in obtaining a spot.

EOI submissions are published below, giving athletes the opportunity to see who they will be competing against to secure a spot on a World Championships team. Lists are published within one week of the listing being closed.

List of EOI Submissions 

A provisional qualifying calendar will be published with qualifying spots for 2026 World Championships as they are confirmed by the provinces. 

Please click here for details!

Qualification events for Age Group World Championships are held during the competition season prior to the World Championship events. This means that the qualifying events and the World Championships events do not fall within the same calendar year. Athletes are qualifying for the age category they will represent at the World Championships, so results from the qualifying events are adjusted forward by one year. For example; for a 2025 qualification event, each athlete’s age is adjusted to represent how old they will be as of December 31st, 2026. 

The important impact of this is that the race-day results at a qualifying event will not necessarily match the qualifying results submitted. An athlete may “age-up” and affect the ranking both in the age category they are leaving, and the new category they are joining. This could result in “bumping” an athlete from a spot.  If an athlete is first in the race-day results but is bumped to second in the age-adjusted results, that athlete does NOT automatically qualify for a spot if there is only one spot available at the qualifying event.  It is important to wait for the final age-adjusted results!

Confirmation to the team must be completed prior to the published deadline which is typically between September and November of the qualification year.  There will be a series of closure dates for each priority level outlined in the team selection document.  For example – priority 1 (direct qualification) registration must close so that priority 2 (roll down) can begin, and so on.  The deadlines will be communicated repeatedly to all eligible athletes via direct email as well as on Triathlon Canada’s social media feeds.  All athletes are responsible for knowing these timelines and meeting the deadlines.

Program Costs 

Age Group World Championship Teams are fully self-funded, meaning that team members must cover the full cost to attend a world championship event. Triathlon Canada is a non-profit organization, and we rely heavily on government funding to operate our programs.  The Age Group World Championship Teams are not eligible for funding support.  The team fees collected support the day-to-day operations of the program from qualification through to support on the ground at World Championship events by our Team Leaders. 

Click here for a breakdown of expected costs and payment schedule

Non-refundable Triathlon Canada Team Management Fees 

In order to claim a spot, athletes must pay a non-refundable Triathlon Canada team management fee. These fees are used for the ongoing administration and management of the team.  These are NOT race registration fees – for full program costs see section below. 

Team management fees support Triathlon Canada’s annual administration and management of age group world championship teams and programs.  Funds support everything from managing qualification events through to supporting the team on the ground at each world championship event.  To learn more about what your team management fee does for you click here. 

Age Group World Championship Teams- Team Canada Expected Costs & Timeline 

Race Entry Fees 

Race entry fees are established by World Triathlon and the Local Organizing Committee (LOC). These fees are paid directly to World Triathlon and the LOC through their registration system.  Links to pay entry fees are typically provided 6-8 weeks prior to competition.  Triathlon Canada is responsible for sharing these links out to the team, and this is the only mechanism to be confirmed onto the start list. The LOC/TRI also dictate the currency that entry fees must be paid in.  Understand that international event fees are often in US dollars, euros, or in some cases other local currencies. 

Insurance 

Triathlon Canada is mandated by TRI to guarantee that all athletes have appropriate insurance before they are put on a start list.  Triathlon Canada will provide instructions on how to purchase the mandatory race insurance around the same time race entry fees are being collected.

Team Canada Uniform 

World Triathlon require all team members to have the same uniform that meets the uniform specifications outlined in the TRI Competition Rules.  The Team Canada mandatory uniform includes a race suit (1 or 2 piece, depending on athlete preference), a jacket, a t-shirt, a hat and pair of socks.   

Outfitting our teams is an enormous undertaking. All team wear is custom-made and designed to make Team Canada stand-out on the international stage.  Our goal with all our team uniforms is to provide something unique that team members are proud to wear as they represent Canada for their World Championship experience.  Being part of a unified team is an amazing part of competing at these events, and our team uniforms play a big part in creating that atmosphere. 

Athletes must make their own arrangements for travel to world championship events. This includes airfare, ground transportation, bike shipments and accommodation.  General information is always provided by Triathlon Canada to assist with this process. 

Team Canada Hotels 

All athletes are encouraged to find accommodation that is tailored to their arrangements and needs. There is no obligation to stay at the official Team Canada Hotel.  Triathlon Canada will establish a Team Canada hotel where possible.  We try to prioritize venues that:

• Are in close proximity to the primary race site 

• Are no more than a mid-range price point 

• Permit bike storage within hotel rooms 

• Offer amenities such as breakfast, parking and wifi 

Team activities are usually based from these locations including briefings and course familiarizations.

Travel 

The Local Organizing Committee typically provides direction or preferred rates on some travel arrangements. Details can be found in the venue-specific guidelines provided. It is HIGHLY recommended that all team members arrive at the race location a minimum of 4 to 5-days prior to their competition.  This allows time to get in and get settled with a buffer for any travel issues, including delays in equipment arrival.  World Championship events draw athletes from all over the world and the local airports are often overwhelmed; particularly when it comes to managing large equipment such as bikes.  Extra time is the best way to avoid a highly stressful travel experience.   

The competition rules for triathlon at the world championship level are extensive.  The full rule book can be downloaded from the World Triathlon website:

World Triathlon Competition rules

The World Triathlon Championship events will often offer open wave races in certain disciplines.  These are not official world championship categories, and registration is open to anyone.  Those looking for additional races or who were unable to qualify for the team may be interested in these opportunities.  Registration is handled through the Local Organizing Committee.  Please visit the event website for more information. 

Christine Cogger 

Christine has supported Team Canada as a Team Manager since 2017 when she stepped in to help organize our biggest team ever for the inaugural Multisport World Championship Festival in Penticton.  A pillar of the endurance sport community, Christine has done it all.  On top of being an avid athlete herself, Christine has spent most of her career working around major events.  Beyond her stint as Race Director for IRONMAN Canada, Christine has been a member of the operations teams from everything to Olympic & Paralympic Games to Invictus Games to local events with her home community.  She brings a wealth of knowledge and a great sense of humour and fun to the team! 

Christian Milette 

Christian is our longest-standing Team Manager, and his involvement with the team stretches all the way back to 2010.  He started as an athlete representing Canada in the duathlon, and then shifted gears into his current role.  He has first-hand knowledge of the athlete experience over four World Championship events and even more as a manager and coach.  He also brings his expertise as a long-term Animateur-videojournaliste with Radio Canada to the team and does a phenomenal job of capturing memories through photos and video for our athletes.  We are so fortunate to have Christian as part of our management team! 

Ella Calder 

Ella joined the Triathlon Canada team in January 2024, where she has played a role in supporting the Age Group teams on their journey to the World Championships. With a degree in Sports Management and a background in competitive basketball, Ella brings a wealth of experience as an athlete, coach, and administrator. Her deep understanding of athletes’ needs allows her to provide support at every stage of their development. Ella has thoroughly enjoyed her introduction to working with the Age Group teams and is excited for the adventures that lie ahead!

Pre and Post-Event Communications 

Triathlon Canada will communicate by email using a platform called “Mail Chimp”. Because emails are going out to a large group of people, email filters sometimes direct these communications to junk mail folders. Please ensure that you have set up Triathlon Canada as an approved sender to ensure that all team communications make it to your inbox. 

On-site Communications 

Team Canada uses Slack, a free app, to communicate with team members while on-site at the races.  We set up a team channel well in advance of the events to encourage athletes to get to know one another and share valuable information.  This is an especially great tool for first time world championship attendees!  The system allows your team managers to give you live updates on the go from across the race venue.  There is also a direct messaging feature so all team members have easy access to the management team and questions can be answered quickly. 

Make sure you download the app prior to attending the event and join the group. If you don’t have the link, please email .