Yokohama, Japan is set to host the penultimate round of the ITU World Triathlon Series this Saturday (29 September) ahead of the Grand Final in New Zealand next month. British athletes including Vicky Holland and David McNamee have their sights set on boosting world ranking positions.
London 2012 Olympian, Vicky Holland faces a very strong line-up in the women’s race. Olympic silver and bronze medallists, Lisa Norden (SWE) and Erin Densham (AUS) feature alongside former world champion, Emma Moffatt (AUS) and ITU World Championship Series runner up from 2011, Andrea Hewitt (NZL).
Densham is currently leading the Series by 470 points over Hewitt, but there are a lot of contenders looking to close that gap before the Grand Final, where 1200 points are on offer for a win rather than the usual 800.
Holland is currently ranked 14th in the Series and starts as the number ten ranked athlete in Yokohama. Non Stanford is the next highest ranked Briton and will want to capitalise on the good form that took her to sixth place in the last round of the Series in Stockholm.
Jodie Stimpson will also want to move up the rankings having come into late season form recently.
Adam Bowden returns to Yokohama having finished seventh there last September. He was crowned British Triathlon Super Series champion last weekend after winning the Virgin Active London Triathlon on Sunday. However, David McNamee starts as the highest ranked Briton having enjoyed his best season to date.
Aaron Harris, Ritchie Nicholls and Phil Wolfe complete the British line-up.
Britain’s Jonathan Brownlee currently holds the ITU World Triathlon Series lead by 540 points from Alexander Bryukhankov (RUS). However, neither athlete is competing this weekend and Spain’s Olympic silver medallist, Javier Gomez, has the opportunity to move up to second place if he wins in Yokohama.
Should Gomez win in Yokohama, the Grand Final will provide a thrilling end to the season with a battle for the ITU world title between Jonathan Brownlee and Gomez. However, anything can happen in this fast paced, dynamic sport.
Defending ITU world champions Alistair Brownlee and Helen Jenkins are not competing, and will not defend their world titles this year.
The women’s race takes place on Saturday at 8am (local time, 12 midnight UK time) and the men’s race follows three hours later. The course covers a 1500m sea swim, a five-lap 40km cycle ride around the sea front, and a four-lap 10km run. Temperatures are expected to reach around 28 degrees.
This weekend’s triathlon is not available to view on the BBC Red Button. It is available to watch live along with highlights on http://triathlonlive.tv.
