Malta could be hosting the world’s leading triathletes as from next year as talks are under way for our country to be included on the Super League Triathlon Series.

The Super League Triathlon Championship series features the world’s best male and female triathletes, such as British brothers Alistair and Jon Brownlee, women’s world champion Flora Duffy, of Bermuda, and Ashleigh Gentley of Australia, who race under contract on a ‘closed league’ for a US $1.5 million in prize money.

The series is currently being held in five countries around the world ­­– namely Singapore, Australia, Jersey, Dubai and Monaco.

The Super League Triathlon Championship series was co-founded by three former triathletes, Chris McCormack, Michael D’Hulst and Leonid Boduslavsky, who were keen to break new ground in the sport.

Recently, McCormack and D’Hulst were in Malta to look at the facilities available and held talks with the authorities alongside Fabio Spiteri, Xandru Grech and Bernard Farrugia who are the local promoters of the event.

“We created this product, the Super League Triathlon Championship, and brought together the leading triathletes who are vying for the title of best in the world,” McCormack told the Sunday Times of Malta.

“Last month we had the biggest televised triathlon in our history in Jersey with whom we have signed a five-year agreement and we are now hopeful of clinching a deal to get Malta on board.

“At present, we have five different cities with contrasting characteristics on our circuit – Singapore, Monaco, Dubai, Australia and Jersey. Malta boasts a rich and dynamic history and no doubt with its beautiful architecture and culture it will establish itself as the centre piece of our series.”

McCormack said that the Super Triathlon Championship Series will surely portray Malta in a completely new light to the sporting world.

“At present, Malta doesn’t pop up as a sports tourism destination but surely that will change if they start to form part of the Super Triathlon Championship series,” McCormack said.

“Triathletes are the biggest travellers around the world as they move constantly from one country to another for either training or competition. On many occasions they tend to take their families with them and surely Malta would become a very popular destination.

“This is an opportunity for this country to get on the map of sports. We have created a number of digital and media footprints that would portray Malta as a tourist destination.

Malta boasts a rich and dynamic history and no doubt with its beautiful architecture and culture it will establish itself as the centre piece of our series

“The competition aspect is just a small part of the benefit Malta can gain from this event. Through our television coverage we try to give a taste to our viewers of the culture and landscape of Malta.

“When planning the series we spoke with the TV networks and we changed the entire dynamics of the sport. No TV station has eight hours to broadcast an ironman.

“We have shortened everything down and built a product that is very popular with our TV viewers who, while watching the triathletes in action, have the opportunity to look at the beautiful scenery of Malta and become an attractive destination for our over-five-million audience that come from places as far-flung as America, Alaska and China.”

McCormack, a two-time ironman world champion, said that Super League Triathlon Championship series in Malta will bring triathletes and aspiring athletes closer to the sport.

“Our plan is to give Maltese athletes the opportunity to compete in the races here by awarding them a wild card,” McCormack said.

“But beyond the competitive aspect we want to inspire the nation. I think that here in Malta with the right people and the right engagement you can inspire a generation of future Olympic and world champions by giving them access to the world’s best, something not always possible in other disciplines.

“Flora Duffy hails from Bermuda and in the 1990s her country hosted a major triathlon event for more than five years running. At the time she was eight years old and she says that if she hadn’t seen the sport in her country she would have not taken up a career in triathlon and the same can happen here.

“In the run up to the event we hold festivals and our athletes visit schools to meet students and hold training sessions with them, so it’s an ongoing activity that can leave a lasting legacy.”

McCormack said that the initial feedback from the authorities has been very positive and he hopes that they can deliver an event here in April.

“From the talks we had so far, the authorities have been impressed by our product and we are hopeful that they want to invest,” McCormack said.

“We are not here for a one-off event. Our intention is for a long-term collaboration and we are ready to lose money in the first few years provided we get a good return on the long term.

“I sincerely hope that the authorities will see value in our series and will be ready to invest as it will surely give a huge lift to Malta in more than one aspect.

“Our plan is to deliver an event in April and I hope that local promoting team will be able to get a deal in place so we can hold our first race as of 2018.”

Australian triathlete Jake Birtwhistle crosses the finish line to win the race in Hamilton Island during this year’s Super League Championship Series in Australia.