Dubai: Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC), has high hopes of victory at Friday’s inaugural Dubai International Triathlon, which begins and ends at Atlantis, The Palm.
Sanctioned by the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), this is the first-ever half-ironman distance race to be held in Dubai and Shaikh Nasser is pleased to be leading Bahrain’s bid for the title.
There will be a separate competition for top professionals along with age group contests for teams and UAE residents.
The event, organised by Race ME, features a 1.9km swim, followed by a 90km bike ride from Palm Jumeirah to Dubai Sports City and back. The final leg will be a 21.1km run on the palm.
“The idea is to go out there and prove we are among the best. I am feeling confident we can come up with a fast time,” Shaikh Nasser told Gulf News ahead of the pre-race briefing on Thursday.
“This race is being held for the first time and I am confident we will come up with a strong performance.”
Earlier this year, Shaikh Nasser won top honours at the inaugural Dubai Desert Triathlon, which was made up of running, cycling and horse riding.
The event will feature top triathletes such as Australia’s two-time World Ironman Champion Chris McCormack and Till Schramm of Germany. The professionals will be first in the water at 6.30am, followed by the age groups and team competitions.
The first of the pro athletes are expected to cross the finish line by 10.15am.
The professional category will feature more than 280 triathletes alongside 800-plus locally based competitors, who will be participating in the age group and team competitions.
Race Director Christian Berglehner said: “While some of the top international professionals give this race a distinct flavour, it is the huge field of more than 800 locals that gives us the right sense of where this sport is headed here.”
