Triathlon Daily

Race Preview: Tongyeong - BG Triathlon World Cup race #4

from Triathlon.org…

The BG Triathlon World Cup series heads to South Korea this Saturday for the first time since 2004. As one of just six world cup events before the end of ITU Olympic qualifying, Tongyeong welcomes a world class field that is expected to include a number of contenders including Beijing bound Jan Frodeno of Germany, four-time world cup winner Rasmus Henning of Denmark, Olympic silver medalist Bevan Docherty and 2006 world champion Tim Don of Great Britain. Click here for men’s start list

Headlining the women’s field are Olympic bound athletes prepping for Beijing including five-time World Cup winner Samantha Warriner of New Zealand, and German Ricarda Lisk. The 2006 junior world champion Kirsten Sweetland from Canada opens her 2008 world cup season in Tongyeong as will teammate Lauren Groves who’s coming off a silver medal performance at the PATCO Pan American Championships in Mazatlan, Mexico. Also in the field will be Great Britain’s promising youngster Hollie Avil who will compete in just her elite world cup. Last year’s junior world and European champion was impressive in her debut, taking bronze at the Ishigaki BG Triathlon World Cup. Click here for women’s start list

Also at stake for the athletes is a US$100,000 prize purse. After diving off a pontoon, athletes will complete a 2-lap 1.5-kilometer ocean swim. At the end of the first lap, athletes will have to come out on the pontoon and dive back in. Wetsuits are expected as water temperature will be between 15 and 17 degrees Celsius. Out of the water athletes will cycle 5 laps around an 8-kilometer loop that includes a pair of hills. Off the bike, it’s onto a flat 10-kilometer run course.

Race Preview: Ishigaki - BG Triathlon World Cup race #3

from Triathlon.org

The small fishing island of Ishigaki, Japan comes alive this weekend as it hosts the longest-running world cup and a favorite stop for many of the world’s best. Last year’s women’s race was a fierce battle between Portuguese star Vanessa Fernandes, three-time world champion Emma Snowsill and 2006 winner Debbie Tanner, three of the premiere runners in the sport. Both Snowsill and Tanner will be back to battle on the tough Ishigaki course. As expected a large Japanese team will be on the start line including the veteran Olympian Kiyomi Niwata and Juri Ide who took silver at last year’s BG Triathlon World Cup finale in Israel. A number of top Europeans will also be in Ishigaki this Sunday including German Anja Dittmer, Elizabeth May of Luxembourg, Nicola Spirig and her teammate Daniela Ryf who’s coming off a fourth place finish in New Plymouth last weekend. Last year’s junior world champion Hollie Avil of Great Britain is expected to make her elite world cup debut this weekend. Click here for full women’s start list

On the men’s side, Courtney Atkinson of Australia looks to continue his mastery of the Ishigaki course with a fifth victory. The Beijing bound Atkinson considers Ishigaki to be his lucky race after losing his wedding ring during the swim three years ago. His compatriot Peter Robertson looks to rebound from a disappointing start to 2008 with a strong showing in Ishigaki. They will have to contend with a strong men’s field that is expected to include 2006 world champion Tim Don of Great Britain, two-time European champion Frederic Belaubre of France and 2000 Olympic gold medalist Simon Whitfield. Also in the mix are Rasmus Henning of Denmark, Kris Gemmell, Russian Alexander Brukhankov and Sven Riederer of Switzerland. For the home team, Hirokatsu Tayama looks to duplicate his success from last year’s season finale when he became the first Japanese triathlete to ever win a world cup title. They’ll all be vying for the US$100,000 prize purse. Click here for full men’s start list

On April 1st, ten days before the Ishigaki BG Triathlon World Cup, the podium that had been used for the Osaka Track and Field World Championship last year in September was donated to Ishigaki. This commemorated the renovation of the Ishigaki City Central Sports Park and the completion of its all-weather running track. The podium arrived at Ishigaki only through the hard work of locals and all those involved and this year it makes its debut at the Ishigaki Island Triathlon.

In addition a photo exhibition entitled “Huge Passion for a Tiny Island: Reliving the Memories” has been set up in the entrance hall of Ishigaki City Hall, and all the photos and T-shirt designs up to this year are being showcased.

2008 BG Triathlon World Cup season kickoff: Mooloolaba Preview

From the ITU site…

Strap yourselves in and get set. The 2008 BG Triathlon World Cup series kicks off this weekend on Australia’s Sunshine Coast. More than 150 elite athletes from 38 countries will sprint into Mooloolaba’s beach, officially signaling the start of the 2008 season. Elite women start at 11:05am on Sunday morning and men at 1:40pm (all times UTC/GMT +10).

In the women’s field, all eyes will be on reigning world champion Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal and her continued assault on triathlon history. A win in Mooloolaba would make her number one amongst all-time world cup winners, surpassing Australian great Emma Carney who will be in Mooloolaba to see first hand if her record will or won’t fall. Not only would Fernandes become the first triathlete to reach the 20-win plateau, she will also become the first to win at least one world cup in six consecutive years.

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