ITU RELEASE: Triathlon Set For Olympic Games Preview in London
London, UK (August 12, 2009) - Triathlon will become one of the first sports to see a preview of the course planned for the London Olympic Games Triathlon this coming weekend, 15 August in Hyde Park.
The sixth round of the Dextro Energy Triathlon - ITU World Championship Series is not using the exact proposed course for the London Games, but athletes will swim in the Serpentine, bike on local roads and run around the Hyde Park venue. The transition set up is in the likely spot for the all important date in three years time. The event has been backed by the International Triathlon Union, British Triathlon Federation and UK Sport.
Great Britain's Alistair Brownlee stands out as one of the favourites as the unbeaten 21 year old goes in search of his fourth successive victory. "It's every athlete's dream to win an Olympic medal and I will be getting the chance to use the venue for the London Games with the added bonus of a home crowd", he said.
Young Hollie Avil, who made the Team GB squad for the Beijing Olympic Games aged just 18, commented: "I think Saturday will give us all another bit of London 2012 excitement", said Avil. "We are so lucky to get the chance to race at the 2012 venue three years out from the Games. I'm really looking forward to racing on home soil too, with a home crowd cheering us on. I think it will be a fantastic weekend."
With television broadcasting the event to over 100 countries around the world, the increased calibre of international competition has been prominent with the introduction of a new world championship series which sees seven high profile events spanning the likes of Madrid, Washington DC, Hamburg and London finishing with a Grand Final on Australia's Gold Coast in September.
Alongside the elite competitors the event will also feature Europe's largest paratriathlon competition with athletes flying in from across the world to compete. Organisers are expecting a crowd of 250,000 to watch the action unfold.
Sunday August 15th
Elite Women: 10:00am local time (GMT +1)
Elite Men: 13:15pm
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