Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee will start his first ITU World Triathlon Series race of the year on Saturday in Yokohama, Japan. The men’s race promises to be an enthralling battle between the Brownlee brothers and Javier Gomez. Jodie Stimpson starts the women’s race as the number one ranked athlete.

Alistair Brownlee sat out the first two rounds with injuries while Jonathan achieved two second place finishes behind the very much in form Javier Gomez.

Alistair said: “I always planned to miss Auckland but I wanted to experience Cape Town and was sorry to miss it through a calf injury.”

He added: “I’ve not raced in Yokohama before. Every race in the Series is tough, and I’m well aware of the form that Javier Gomez has started in this year, so I’m looking forward to a hard race.”

Aaron Harris will want to repeat the excellent top ten finish he achieved in Cape Town, which would be enough to secure him Team England Commonwealth Games selection.

Adam Bowden has finished in the top ten on all three previous occasions that he’s raced in Yokohama. World junior silver medallist, Marc Austin, 20, makes his Series debut and 19 year-old Grant Sheldon is another of the young-guns making his mark at senior level.

Jodie Stimpson has won the previous two rounds in dominant fashion and sits proudly at the top of the ITU world rankings. Helen Jenkins is currently in second but has chosen to sit out of this round to focus on training.

Lucy Hall and Katie Hewison will have an eye on Commonwealth Games selection whilst Natalie Milne will want to impress the Scottish selectors. With Milne and Hall on the start line it is guaranteed to be a fast swim and the possibility of a break away being established on the bike. Lois Rosindale completes the British line-up.

The course features a 1500m harbor swim followed by a flat 40km bike and flat 10km run.

The ITU World Triathlon Yokohama will be televised live on the BBC Red Button and a highlights package will follow on Sunday. Coverage of the women’s race starts at 02.00 on Saturday morning, the men’s is at 05.00. These are both being replayed on Saturday morning, visit HERE, for details. Highlights will be shown at 4.30pm on BBC2 on Sunday 18 May.

The next round of the ITU World Triathlon Series takes place in London’s Hyde Park. The PruHealth World Triathlon London is free to view with the men’s race at 2.30pm followed by the women at 4.05pm.

British athletes racing in Yokohama

Lucy Hall, 22, Leeds (from Lutterworth)
Katie Hewison, 28, Chorley
Natalie Milne, 25, Kinross
Lois Rosindale, 24, Leeds
Jodie Stimpson, 25, Oldbury

Marc Austin, 20, Glasgow
Adam Bowden, 31, Loughborough (from Watford)
Alistair Brownlee, 26, Leeds
Jonathan Brownlee, 24, Leeds
Aaron Harris, 25, Loughborough (from Hampshire)
Grant Sheldon, 19, Hamilton

2014 World Triathlon Series

April 5-6                      Barfoot & Thompson World Triathlon Auckland
April 26-27                  ITU World Triathlon Cape Town
May 17-18                   ITU World Triathlon Yokohama
May 31 - June 1          PruHealth World Triathlon London
June 27-29                  ITU World Triathlon Chicago
July 12-13                   ITU World Triathlon Hamburg
August 23-24              Vattenfall World Triathlon Stockholm
August 26 - Sept 1      TransCanada Corp. World Triathlon Edmonton