2018 ITU Triathlon World Champion, Vicky Holland, is amongst a squad of seven Brits set to line up for the first leg of the ITU World Triathlon Series this Friday.
Bringing together the world’s top triathletes over a nine-event series, the Daman World Triathlon Abu Dhabi will once again kick off the prestigious ITU World Triathlon Series on Friday 8 March, marking the start of an exciting 18-month journey to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
On what is also International Women’s day, Great Britain will be well represented, with five female athletes choosing to start their season in the UAE city. Vicky Holland returns to the spotlight having taken the world title in 2018, joined by last year’s WTS Abu Dhabi silver medallist, Jess Learmonth. Georgia Taylor-Brown claimed bronze in the series overall last season and joins the line-up hoping to add another ITU World Triathlon Series medal to the three she accumulated in 2018. Holland’s training partner and fellow World Class Performance Programme athlete, India Lee will also start on Friday morning.
Jess Learmonth finished second in last seasons series opener in Abu Dhabi.
Alex Yee will make his World Series debut on the Yas Marina circuit, his second race outing of 2019. The 21-year-old took an emphatic victory in the Cape Town ITU Triathlon World Cup last month, fending off a field including 2016 Olympic Bronze medallist, Henri Schoeman. Tom Bishop joins Yee to take on the sprint distance event.
With fields including the in-form Katie Zaferes and Vincent Luis, fresh from Super League Grand Final success in Singapore, there’ll be no shortage of drama in both men’s and women’s races.
Saturday will see quartets line up for the start of the 2019 ITU Mixed Relay Series, which also makes stops in Nottingham, Hamburg and Edmonton. The British squad will be confirmed following Friday’s individual races.
Vicky Holland, 2018 ITU Triathlon World Champion, said: “As an athlete, you always look forward to getting back on the start line after a few months of knuckling down and getting the hard work done over winter. I’m feeling good, so Abu Dhabi will be a good test to see where I’m at and how training has gone. With the Olympics now only a year away, it’s definitely going it be an exciting road ahead.”
Great Britain Team; Daman World Triathlon Abu Dhabi, 8-9 March 2019
Men: Tom Bishop, Alex Yee
Women: Vicky Holland, Jess Learmonth, India Lee, Non Stanford, Georgia Taylor-Brown
Relay: Team to be confirmed on Friday*
*Barclay Izzard will travel for relay consideration
How to watch:
Friday 8 March
- Men's race: 09:50-11:15 BBC Red Button and online (replay 21:30-22:55) and TriathlonLive.TV
- Women's race: 11:50-13:20, BBC Red Button and online (replay 22:55-00:25) and TriathlonLive.TV
Saturday 9 March
- Mixed Relay: 07:50-09:45, BBC Red Button (replay 21:00-22:55) and TriathlonLive.TV
Sunday 10 March
- Highlights show: 13:00-14:30, BBC Two
The ITU World Triathlon Series reaches UK soil in June, with the AJ Bell World Triathlon Leeds taking place 8-9 June, followed by the Accenture World Triathlon Mixed Relay Nottingham a week later on 15 June. To watch the elites in action or take part on the same courses in the amateur races, visit Leeds.triathlon.org or Nottingham.triathlon.org
