The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) just announced that the date of the inaugural Collins Cup has been moved to 28th August 2021. The event will have a record setting prize purse of $1,500,000 and will be hosted, as originally planned, at the extraordinary x-bionic sphere in Šamorín, near Bratislava, Slovakia. It will bring together many of the world’s top distance triathletes in a team competition.
Rachel Joyce, Co-President of the PTO, commented: “We are excited to showcase the first Collins Cup at the x-bionic sphere in Šamorín. The PTO’s mission is to celebrate the sport of triathlon, support the triathlon community and ultimately see this wonderful sport grow and thrive. The Collins Cup is going to see legendary team captains lead today’s very best triathletes in a battle to see which region dominates the sport of triathlon. It promises to be a riveting competition and moreover, the Collins Cup is going to be a platform for professionals and fans alike to celebrate our sport. Because of the continuing damage that the pandemic is causing to our triathlon community, the PTO Athlete Board has allocated up to $500,000 of the originally planned $2,000,000 prize purse of The Collins Cup to support local races as well as the PTO Professionals who do not qualify to participate in The Collins Cup.”
Sam Renouf, CEO of the PTO, commented: “2021 continues to be a challenging environment for hosting international sport. While we have proven the ability to deliver a COVID-19 safe and compliant event with the PTO 2020 Championship at Challenge Daytona last year, this date change will ensure athletes have a greater opportunity to prepare for Collins Cup qualification. The format of USA vs Europe vs Internationals will add a whole new level of competition and pure excitement for triathlon. By adopting a proven format like the Ryder Cup with its nationalistic intensity and having a points system that creates drama throughout the race, The Collins Cup is designed to be a compelling live TV event that appeals not only to the fans of endurance sports, but also to the general sports enthusiast. The x-bionic sphere team have proven experience hosting world class triathlon events in the form of Challenge Family’s The Championship and we are excited to further elevate that position in the sport with x-bionic sphere becoming the inaugural host of this historic event.
Challenge Family’s The Championship will still take place at the date original planned: May 23, 2021.
