Beeche said Triathlon NZ had seen the success of the previous two Challenge Wanaka long-distance triathlons and wanted to be a part of the event and give the organiser, EveNZ, its support.
He told Wanaka Community Board members at a meeting this week a short distance sprint triathlon held in Wanaka in January would be part of a nationwide series and could also attract some of the sport's elite New Zealand athletes.
"We've got two Olympic champions at the moment and we could possibly have a new set in a couple of months' time," he said, alluding to next month's Beijing Olympics Auckland-based Beeche said the sprint triathlon would be a twilight event, which had proven to be a popular format for athletes and spectators at other locations.
The "Sprint-Tri" would take place on the Friday evening before the Challenge Wanaka race and both events would be filmed and screen on television as part of a triathlon-focused sports programme on TVNZ, he said.
Challenge Wanaka director Victoria Murray-Orr said the organisers had broadened the scope of the long-distance triathlon, which would be the focus of a week-long festival preceding the main event.
A new junior challenge race would start the festival on the Sunday (January 11), with a fun run and swim race also taking place before the Friday evening Sprint-Tri and Saturday's Challenge Wanaka race, she said.
