Olympic Champion and PruHealth Vitality Ambassador Jessica Ennis-Hill today unveiled a giant floating sculpture on London’s Serpentine to launch the 2013 PruHealth World Triathlon Grand Final.
Ennis-Hill called on British sports fans to recreate the spirit of London 2012 by turning out in force to support Britain’s best triathletes as they compete at the event in Hyde Park.
On behalf of PruHealth, title sponsor of the event, Ennis-Hill revealed a whopping four meter high and eight meter wide floating swimmer, positioned on the triathlon swim course in the middle of Hyde Park’s Serpentine. Over 8,500 triathletes will swim past the huge sculpture, nicknamed Victor, over five days of triathlon starting today (Wednesday 11 September) and finishing with the men’s elite race at 13:30 on Sunday 15 September.
Amongst the world’s top triathletes to swim past the sculpture will be GB Olympic gold and bronze medallists Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, who will no doubt receive a rapturous welcome from the home crowd.
Ennis-Hill said: “This is one of the first major Olympic legacy events happening post London 2012, so I’m delighted to support the PruHealth World Triathlon Grand Final. It is fantastic to be here to reveal the giant sculpture in the Serpentine today - it will form a real focus for the event at the weekend and make everyone aware that we are again hosting a great international sporting event in the Capital.
“Being here brings back amazing memories of London 2012 and that sight of thousands of people in Hyde Park watching the triathlon event. We are expecting around 300,000 people along the route this weekend which will not only spur on the athletes but will also show the power of sport to unite people. Hopefully some of them might be inspired afterwards to take up regular running, swimming or cycling or better still take up the challenge of a triathlon.”
The event, the culmination of the ITU World Triathlon Series, is the most prestigious triathlon competition in the world and welcomes athletes from 83 countries to compete for Junior, U23, Elite, Paratriathlon and Amateur World Championship titles. It is the first World Championships to take place in London since the London 2012 Olympics.
Hundreds of PruHealth members are taking part in the Open Race event on Saturday, a number of whom have never done a triathlon before. They will be cheered on by an expected crowd of 300,000 over the five days of this free-to-spectate event.
