Abu Dhabi: The 10-event 2015 ITU World Triathlon Series (WTS) will get underway on Saturday as the world’s top athletes line up for the season opener on the Abu Dhabi Corniche.
This weekend’s event will be the first WTS race to be held in the Middle East. Reigning world champions American Gwen Jorgensen and Javier Gomez of Spain will headline a stellar field that includes nine of the top 10-ranked men and six of the top 10-ranked women.
Starting from the beach by the Abu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht Club, athletes will swim one lap of a 750-metre course, bike four laps of 5km each and run two 2.5km circuits in search of the first WTS points of the year.
“This Saturday we will have 120 of the finest triathletes in the world racing. With countless titles and medals between them, they will battle it out on Abu Dhabi’s action-packed course with thousands of spectators cheering them on,” said Local Organising Committee Director Iain Banner.
“We are extremely encouraged to have attracted such a top class field and more than 2,100 age group participants to the inaugural World Triathlon Series event here.”
Competing for the women’s top prize will be Jorgensen and compatriot Sarah True (nee Groff). Ranked first and second in 2014, the Americans will start as the ones to chase.
After battling with injuries for several years, Canada’s Kirsten Sweetland roared back into action at the sprint race in Hamburg last year, when she claimed bronze. The consistent Andrea Hewitt of New Zealand grew stronger with every race in the 2014 season, stepping on the podium on the sprint course in Stockholm and just missing out in Hamburg.
But last season’s results have little bearing here, as Abu Dhabi is the first chance for the athletes to test their heavy winter training. Add in warm temperatures and potentially high winds, and an upset could be on the cards.
While the Japanese women are strong in hot climates, any high winds will be to the advantage of strong cyclists like Hewitt, Britain’s Lucy Hall, Germany’s Anne Haug, Commonwealth Games champion Jodie Stimpson of Britain and two-time World Champion Emma Moffatt from Australia.
A number of wild cards will also line up, including Olympic silver medallist Lisa Norden of Sweden.
For the men, Gomez made history last year when he became just the second athlete to be crowned world champion four times.
But Britain’s Jonathan Brownlee and Spain’s Mario Mola have repeatedly proven tough to beat. Also expect Richard Murray of South Africa and Joao Pereira of Portugal to be in with a chance, while the likes of Alessandro Fabian, Vincent Luis and Sven Riederer are more than capable of challenging.
A non-wetsuit ocean swim could help Brownlee and Gomez snag an important advantage on the swim over Mola and Murray. The London Olympic medallists are as strong on the bike and run as they are on the swim, meaning if they hit the first transition first it will be difficult to reel them in.
The women will get the series underway at 3pm on Saturday, with the men following at 5pm. Follow the action live on Abu Dhabi Sports TV and on triathlonlive.tv.
