BP Backs World Triathlon Chicago Race
CHICAGO -- BP will be the main sponsor and the official energy partner of the International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Triathlon Chicago. The sponsorship builds on BP's long-running association with U.S. Olympic and Paralympic sports.
"As a proud partner of the United States Olympic Committee, BP is honored to sponsor ITU World Triathlon Chicago, where triathletes from across the globe will compete for a chance to represent their countries in the Olympic and Paralympic Games," said Luis Sierra, president of BP Chemicals. "We're particularly excited about supporting this weekend's paratriathlon, which makes its Paralympic Games debut at Rio 2016, given that we've long been a leader in backing both U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes."
Chicago is the only U.S. city to host one of the eight ITU World Triathlon Series events in 2014. The events take place June 27-29. The results in these Olympic-distance events are part of the qualifying process for national triathlon federations looking to field teams at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
BP America first announced its sponsorship of the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) and Team USA in February 2010. Then in 2011, the company extended its partnership with USOC by becoming its official energy partner through 2016.
BP America and its local BP-branded fuel retailers have been building awareness of Paralympic sports in the United States through grassroots support of Paralympic Sport Clubs. Since 2011, BP-branded retailers in 13 states have donated more than $700,000 to their local Paralympic Sport Clubs.
In 2013, the USOC recognized BP's commitment to U.S. Paralympics with its Paralympic Amazing Impact Award, an honor given annually to organizations that raise awareness and support for the U.S. Paralympic Movement.
In conjunction with the ITU World Triathlon Chicago, BP is also sponsoring an adaptive bicycling demonstration, organized by Chicago-based paratriathlon club Dare2tri, for children with physical disabilities or visual impairment.