On 29 March 2019, the Brownlee brothers will be formally opening the UK’s largest triathlon show, Triathlon Show: London, at the Dockland’s ExCeL Centre. The show caters for swimmers, cyclists, runners and triathletes with 100’s of exhibitors.
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The performance stage line up
Got tickets for the Friday? Don’t miss Alistair and Jonny talking to 220‘s editor Helen Webster at 12pm on the performance stage. They will be followed on the stage by Dirty Sanchez star Matthew Pritchard, who will be speaking about his journey from extreme partying to extreme triathlon. Then at 3pm Helen will be talking to Greg Whyte, a professor in Applied Sport & Exercise Science and the man behind many of Comic Relief’s challenges.
Heading there Saturday? Helen will be chatting to four-time Kona champ Chrissie Wellington at 1pm and BBC presenter and Team GB triathlete Louise Minchin.
220 Expert Stage
Meanwhile the line-up on the 220 expert stage includes top tri coaches Joe Beer and Mark Kleanthous, hydration expert Andy Blow, Paralympic gold medallist Andy Lewis, 220‘s columnist Martyn Brunt, and rising ITU star Georgia Taylor-Brown.
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And while you’re there don’t forget to check out all the latest tri kit. So many of us order our tri kit online without seeing it in person beforehand. Triathlon Show: London gives athletes the opportunity to have a good look at the latest kit and triathlon products and ask the expert representatives from each brand any questions they may have. If you’re going there to specifically look for new kit, check out our triathlon gear buying guides first.
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The show runs at London’s Excel Centre from Friday 29 to Sunday 31 March. Read more about the show here and click this link to get your discounted entry tickets.
Britain’s Alex Yee finished second to world champion Mario Mola of Spain as the ITU World Series kicked off in high-octane style on the Formula One track of Abu Dhabi.
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It was an impressive debut at the top level from the 21-year-old Yee, who trains in Leeds and had already showed his class by winning a second tier World Cup race in Cape Town, also over the sprint distance, last month.
But it still wasn’t quite enough to defeat Mola, who has won the past three world titles, and once again showed why his biggest strength is the run. The 29-year-old surged to the front with 1.7km remaining and eased clear of Yee in the final stretch to take the tape in 52min.
“It’s above and beyond what I expected,” Yee said, having run 14:07 for the 5km. “I came in wanting to get a bit of experience, but I felt really prepared and ready to go and give it my best shot. These guys are my idols, and I look up to them and have watched them since I was a kid.”
Mola recorded his 16th World Series victory and was generous with his praise for the young Brit, who has recovered from a near career-ending bike crash when racing in Calgary in 2017.
“I had to dig deep to bridge the gap,” he said. “I know how talented Alex is and it was great to have a battle against him. It’s great to have a new generation coming up.”
What made Yee’s result even more impressive was the quality of the field assembled in the Emirates’ capital.
The entire top 10 from last year’s ranking were present, with newly crowned Super League champion Vincent Luis and last year’s Commonwealth gold medallist Henri Schoeman among them. Double-Olympic medallist Jonny Brownlee was the only notable absentee.
While Slovakian Richard Varga predictably led out of the water after the 750m swim, the race came together on the 20km cycle around the Yas Marina F1 track and a large pack entered T2 together.
New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde bravely took the race by its scruff and forged a six-second gap that he held until midway through the run, when first Yee and then Mola took charge.
Spain’s Fernando Alarza sprinted from the chasing pack to take the final spot on the podium, with Britain’s only other competitor, Tom Bishop – on a course where he had his best WTS finish of second in 2017 – finishing strongly in ninth, one place ahead of an exhausted Wilde.
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There is now a six-week break before the World Series resumes in Bermuda for the second of eight events.
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You can follow all the action live, plus re-live past races, highlights and interviews at triathlonlive.tv
Third-place Jess Learmonth led the British charge in the first World Series race of the season as Non Stanford, Vicky Holland and Georgie Taylor-Brown also finished in the top 10.
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USA’s Katie Zafares, who finished runner-up to Holland in last year’s World Series, sealed a commanding victory in Abu Dhabi by breaking clear on the 5km run.
With her compatriot Taylor Spivey in second, it was left for Learmonth to out-sprint Under-23 world champion Taylor Knibb to stop a US podium sweep.
“I thought I’d shove ‘em out, “Learmonth joked. “She [Knibb] kept pushing and I thought it was going to come to a sprint finish. I thought: ‘She’s a young buck, she’s not 30-odd, she’ll get me, so I’ll have to push on to getaway.’
“We were working really hard [on the bike]. I’m glad that finally we had a breakaway that worked. I’ve got to be honest, I hadn’t aimed for this race. I’ve had a bit of a bad lead-up and I said I’m just going to get round. It’s a big year for selection and the girls are so strong so I’m just going to take it a race at a time.”
After Learmonth had led out of the water in the 750m swim, a front group that was eventually whittled down to six opened an insurmountable 65sec gaps on the main pack over the 20km bike course.
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Even for the calibre of France’s Cassandra Beaugrand and Stanford, it was always going to be too much of a gap and the ever-consistent Zafares, who had stood 17 times on the World Series podium, but only once on the top step, ran clear to win by 26sec in 55min 31sec.
The American also clocked the fastest 5km run leg with a time of 16:09. It was 2sec faster than Stanford, who having left Leeds to join Canadian Joel Filliol’s training group will be encouraged by her start to the World Series. India Lee was the final British competitor in 26th.
There is now a six-week break before the World Series resumes in Bermuda for the second of eight events.
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You can follow all the action live, plus re-live past races, highlights and interviews at triathlonlive.tv
Commonwealth champions Australia underlined their mixed relay credentials with victory on the opening World Series weekend, as Britain’s quartet toiled home in seventh.
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Despite having two debutants in their line-up, Jake Birtwhistle, fast becoming a relay specialist, brought the Aussies to the tape in Abu Dhabi, having caught USA’s Eli Hemming on the final bike leg and eased clear on the 1,500m run.
New Zealand finished in third, with Alex Yee, runner-up in the individual contest yesterday, running Britain up to seventh, 68sec adrift of the winners.
Over a 300m swim, 7.6km bike and 1.5km run course, Britain, who were led off by Vicky Holland struggled to make an impact throughout.
The race was split early as USA’s Taylor Spivey biked clear on the first leg to build an 18sec lead into T2, with Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle pegging back most of the deficit on the run.
Germany and Italy then joined the USA’s Ben Kanute and Australia’s Luke Willian to form a front pack of four, with Tom Bishop battling to keep Britain in the top 10.
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Kanute and Willian broke free on the run to give Katie Zafares and Emma Jeffcoat some breathing space on the changeover, with Zafares superior footspeed giving the Americans a 17sec lead on to the final leg.
That was soon whittled away though as Birtwhistle caught Hemming, and the former track ace was dominant over the final 1.5km to take the tape.
“We’ve never used this team before, but once again we’ve come out and won the race,” Birtwhistle said. “It’s great for us all and great for triathlon in Australia.”
A strong second half of the race by Leonie Periault and Leo Bergere had put reigning world champions France clear in third, but with Bergere having to stand down for a penalty, New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde ran through for the bronze. Non Stanford and Yee rounded out the British effort, but it never looked enough to challenge the podium.
The first of four mixed relays in the 2019 World Series, Abu Dhabi will be followed by Nottingham (June), Edmonton (July) and Grand Final in Lausanne (August).
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To watch all the coverage live, plus highlights, race re-runs and interviews, visit triathlonlive.tv
The ITU World Series got underway in the Emirates’ capital this weekend, with success for Mario Mola and Katie Zafares in the individual races and Australia in the mixed relay. But beyond the headlines, what else did we learn from the elite level racing? 220 columnist Tim Heming reflects.
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1. Super League Triathlon has upped the ante. Compared to the fast-paced, multi-transition, mixed-up world that Chris McCormack and co have delivered, the World Series – even at sprint distance – looks pedestrian. It’s particularly a problem on the bike, where triathletes such as Flora Duffy and Alistair Brownlee, who can really blow racing apart, are sorely missed. The men’s race in Abu Dhabi was effectively neutralised until T2, and if new fans are to be engaged, that must change.
2. Abu Dhabi’s state-of-the-art Yas Marina motor-racing circuit fails to convince. Yes, it’s a fillip that ITU now has an established venue for the World Series curtain-raiser and the warm climate is no doubt welcomed by the triathletes. But the eerie, empty grandstands draw obvious if unfair comparisons with the fervour of when Formula One lands here in December, and the wide, sweeping track also doesn’t make for exciting cycle racing – until the bike tyres hit a patch of motor oil.
3. Transition practice under pressure pays off. This shouldn’t turn into an ode to Super League, but the new race series could also claim credit for improving triathletes’ competency in triathlon’s ‘fourth discipline’. Although the men’s individual race arrived at T1 in a large pack, it was Vincent Luis, Ben Kanute and Henri Schoeman – all fresh from Super League in Singapore – who emerged first to form an early three-man break on the bike.
4. Mario Mola cements the favourite tag. While Luis, Schoeman and Kristian Blummenfelt were putting on a show at Super League over the past few months, the genial Spaniard was getting stuck into winter training. Arriving fresh in Abu Dhabi, he showed he will again be the man to beat as he looks for a fourth successive world title, which would be an unprecedented feat in short-course racing.
5. Alex Yee can win a World Series race in 2019. If the 21-year-old’s performance to win a World Cup race in Cape Town last month was a breakthrough, then finishing runner-up in on his World Series debut was another level again. While British Triathlon will not want to rush Yee’s development, there’s little reason he cannot claim a win on the series in 2019 if he stays fit and healthy. A lack of challenging bike courses that could otherwise break up the race and leave him isolated before the run, also plays to Yee’s advantage.
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6. Olympic gold is anyone’s right now. Although wins for Katie Zafares and Mola in Abu Dhabi will surprise no-one, looking ahead to Tokyo 2020, it appears as wide-open as it ever has in a pre-Olympic year. Both Zafares and Mola have earned their No 1 status through consistency more than triumphing on the big one-off occasion, and there are other established performers, up-and-coming talent, and big names currently on the sidelines such as Flora Duffy, Nicola Spirig and even Alistair Brownlee, who could all have a case made for them.
7. Consistency working for Non Stanford. The Welsh triathlete has been blighted by injury since winning the world title in 2013, but a move to Canadian Joel Filliol’s training group, where consistency has largely replaced intensity, looks to have put her in good stead for a solid season. Although unable to make the front pack on the bike, Stanford was quicker than France’s Cassandre Beaugrand – arguably the fastest runner in the sport – over the last 5km to make the top five.
8. The Americans just keep coming. Just when you might have thought they couldn’t become any stronger, the USA’s impressive roster of senior talent now includes the fast-blossoming Taylor Knibb. The 21-year-old has won successive junior and U23 world titles and finished fourth in Abu Dhabi, yet still looks far from the finished article. She’s already one of the strongest bikers in the field – in last year’s U23 Championship in Gold Coast she was 2:30mins quicker on two wheels than the rest of the field. Some serious pedal power.
9. Jessica Learmonth’s strength could be Britain’s undoing. Learmonth once again showed that she’s the fastest female swimmer in ITU racing, but the knock-on effect is that her British team-mates become relegated to also-rans. The Leeds’ triathlete’s pace upfront had the biggest impact on Stanford, Vicky Holland and Georgia Taylor-Brown not being able to make the front pack in Abu Dhabi. While it’s not a pressing issue because the women race as individuals on the World Series, when it comes to Olympic selection, it could make for some tricky decisions for selectors.
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10. The Aussies, Americans and French are mixed relay aces. While New Zealand snuck into third place in the final reckoning, it was only because world champions France were served a penalty on the final leg. That’s racing, of course, but it also didn’t mask that Australia, USA and France are currently head and shoulders above the other nations when it comes to the format. Britain were without the Brownlees, granted, but whether Team GB’s undoubted experience can match the specificity and youthful endeavour of the top three looks increasingly questionable.
Taking place at ExCel London on 29-31 March 2019, the show offers the best opportunity for triathletes and cyclists of all disciplines to learn more about their favourite brands. With so many bike, kit and accessory brands on display and abundant opportunities to test ride the latest bikes on the test track, kids test track and a mini pump track for those up for showing off their riding skills, the London Bike Show and Triathlon Show: London offer an amazing day out for cycling and triathlon fans with plenty to see and do.
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London based Sigma Sports bring an array of names to the show over the weekend; Tacx, Specialized, MAAP, VEL, Maurten and Black Sheep Clothing all featuring at their stand. A mix of urban and E-bikes will be on display from Ribble, as they continue to diversify, alongside their popular range of road bikes.
Tri UK once again bring with them a whole host of familiar names; Cannondale, GT, Fabric, Cervélo, Focus, Muc Off, 2XU, Dirty Dog, Mizuno, Dare2Tri and Foor Wetsuits. Canyon will be at hand to showcase their latest models for 2019 alongside the World Champion bikes of Mathieu Van Der Poel, Alejandro Valverde and Patrick Lange, and offering attendees the chance to test ride a selection of Canyon bikes on the show’s official test track.
Award winning OTE Sports bring their naturally flavoured nutrition range to the show, as well as Team GB athletes Alistair & Jonny Brownlee and Georgia Taylor-Brown. Urban electric bikes, Gocycle, display their full choice of models at the show including the new GX; from super fast folding builds to the optimum commuting companion.
Brownlees to open The London Bike Show and Triathlon Show: London
The all-star line up for The Triathlon Show: London
Triathlon brands such as HUUB and Zone 3 shall provide attendees the opportunity to test their wetsuits during the three days too. Wattbike, Hedkayse, Calibre Bikes and Oakley are all in attendance as well, while Ison Distribution bring with them Surly, The Light Blue, BZ Optics and Miss Grape Bikepacking. Polar, Gore, On and Hoka shall be hosted by Alton Sports, while Atherton Bikes offer the public their first look at the prototype bikes which they have been developing with Dan, Rachel and Gee; who shall also be speaking on the main stage.
Frazer Clifford, Show Owner, said of the announcement: “We are proud to have assembled such a fantastic array of exciting brands, firm favourites and new, from the world of both cycling and triathlon. As ever, the shows offer attendees the chance to get up close with much loved brands, gain first hand insight and test ride bikes they have always wanted. With another fantastic schedule of speakers across all three days as well, there is always something to be enjoyed while at the shows.”
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To see the full list of brands exhibiting at the London Bike Show and Triathlon Show: London 2019, visit www.thelondonbikeshow.co.uk/exhibitors
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France’s Dorian Coninx proved a surprise winner of the second round of the World Triathlon Series in Bermuda ahead of returning Spaniard Javier Gomez, who laid down an ominous marker for his Olympic rivals.
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Coninx, a former junior and under-23 world champion, produced a gutsy performance to claw his way back in the second half of the run before pulling away from veteran Gomez and Norwegian Gustav Iden to take the tape in 1:50:36.
It was a race full of surprises, with Britain’s Jonny Brownlee short of his best form on the run to finish 11th and world champion Mario Mola cut adrift during the swim to tail in 26th.
“It’s just crazy,” Coninx said. “The run was really hard, but I think I paced it well. I’ve never had the perfect race before this one, but I guess the planets aligned today.”
While Coninx was recording his first World Series victory, 35-year-old Gomez secured a remarkable 38th podium in 57 starts. The five-time ITU world champion, who last raced in the World Series in the Grand Final in Rotterdam in 2017, has returned to short course racing eyeing a fourth attempt at Olympic glory next year.
“It was very tough race and none of us had much left at the end,” Gomez said. “I closed my eyes and went as hard as I could. I was pretty happy with my race. I knew I was fit but after being out for a year, but you don’t know how much the others have moved on.
“My goal is to qualify for Tokyo. I’m enjoying what I’m doing and want to give it a shot and see how it goes.”
Coninx’s compatriot Vincent Luis finished fourth having produced his most impressive World Series swim to date to lead out of the water in 17:54, 10 seconds clear of Brownlee with renowned Slovakian swimmer Richard Varga and Gomez even further back.
Luis, who has won the past two World Series Grand Finals and the inaugural Super League title in February, led a group of 19 on to the bike, and with Brownlee driving them up the first of 10 climbs of the testing Corkscrew Hill they quickly opened a 45sec lead over the chasers.
By halfway the lead pack had been whittled down to 16, but with Brownlee bereft of allies to push the pace, the advantage over the second group was also halved. Norwegian trio Kristian Blummenfelt, Casper Stornes and Iden – looking to provide another spectacle after sweeping the podium 2018 – were all prominent among the chase group.
None of this was helping three-time and reigning world champion Mola, who was languishing almost 2mins down. The Spaniard finished fourth in Bermuda in 2018, the only time all season he failed to make the top two, and it would be another unsatisfactory day for the favourite as the gap extended to almost 3mins by the time he completed the ride.
At the sharp end, the race came back together, before a three-man break in the final 10km of the bike involving Jorik van Egdom, Coninx and German Jonas Schomburg, led to the latter breaking away and reaching T2 with a 35sec lead.
The 25-year-old had finished 18th in Abu Dhabi in the opening race and 10th in the European Championship in Glasgow last year, but had never threatened a World Series podium before and the lead lasted barely one lap of the four-lap 10km course before a six-man pack of Blummenfelt, Gomez, Iden, Luis, Portugal’s Joao Periera and Commonwealth champion Henri Schoeman gained the ascendancy.
With Periera and Schoeman unable to stick the pace, Coninx then fought his way back to the front group in an increasingly unpredictable contest. Gomez seized the initiative with 3km remaining and Blummenfelt was next to drop off, followed by Luis, as the lead changed hands several times approaching the final throes.
Coninx’s kick up the last climb proved decisive and he held the gap to claim the $18,000 first prize, with Gomez pipping Iden in a sprint on the blue carpet for second, meaning the Norwegian repeated his third-place finish of last year.
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Luis moved to the top of the overall standings ahead of Spain’s Fernando Alarza and France’s Leo Bergere, but with six races remaining there is all to play for as they head to Yokohama in Japan in three weeks.
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USA’s Katie Zafares continued her perfect start to the World Triathlon Series after easing to victory in Bermuda ahead of Britain’s Jess Learmonth.
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Zafares, 29, who was narrowly beaten to the world title by Vicky Holland in the final race of the 2018 season, made it two wins from two WTS starts after victory in Abu Dhabi in March.
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Holland finished 15th having broken away with the leaders early in the 40km bike ride, but was unable to hold the pace. Fellow Brit Georgia Taylor-Brown came through for fifth, with Non Stanford producing the fastest run leg in the field to claim 13th.
The home crowd had hoped to see the return of local favourite and Commonwealth champion Flora Duffy, who had succeeded with a solo charge to win the inaugural WTS contest on the island last year.
But Duffy, who has struggled with injury since taking the Commonwealth title last spring, withdrew in the build-up and has delayed setting a date for her return.
In her absence, Zafares became the dominant force and looked untroubled on the run, closing out with a 34:36 10km split and a comfortable 1:41 victory margin.
“Inspired by Flora in last year’s race I just wanted to commit to those first few laps [on the bike],” she said. “Jess and Lotte [Miller] did so much work, we just kept pushing the entire 10 laps and it put us in a good position for the run.”
A downpour and flash floods greeted the start of the women’s race, meaning choppier conditions and poor visibility during the swim and plenty of surface water for the beginning of the bike leg.
“It was torrential,” Learmonth said. “I was halfway through [the swim] and ready to roll on to my back and put my arm in the air to be rescued – you couldn’t see a thing. So that were a drama. On the bike, Zafares is a train – I was dying. The run, I was just trying to get through. I’m glad we got just enough time because I was hanging on. I’m delighted with second place.”
As has become routine in WTS racing, Learmonth led the out of the water after the 1.5km two-lap swim, but world champion Holland was in close attendance along with Holland’s Maya Kingma. Zafares was fourth leaving T1 and quickly closed the gap as they approached the first of 10 climbs up Corkscrew Hill – the one meaningful incline on the course – showing her power that would soon split the race apart.
Norway’s Miller also made the front pack and after Kingma had been jettisoned it was Holland who was next to suffer as the front three broke away.
From there Zafares continued to drive the pace and the gap over the 40km bike ride grew from seconds to minutes as the trio built on their advantage.
They made it to T2 over 2mins clear of the second pack and although Learmonth was first to emerge, Zafares quickly forged ahead and by the end of the first 2.5km lap was 23sec clear.
Miller’s valiant effort to equal Gustav Iden’s feat in the men’s race and grab the final podium berth for Norway was thwarted when Canadian Commonwealth bronze medallist Joanna Brown passed her with 3km remaining.
Miller eventually dropped to eighth to add to her sixth place in Abu Dhabi, but it was a brave performance that suggests it’s not just the Scandinavian men who are becoming a force to be reckoned with at this level.
Learmonth wasn’t threatened for second, and although she is yet to win a World Series race, has now recorded five podiums along with Commonwealth silver and a European title.
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The 31-year-old lies second in the overall standings behind Zafares, with USA’s Taylor Spivey in third and Georgia Taylor-Brown in fourth.
The second stop on the ITU calendar saw the world’s best short course triathletes head to the North Atlantic island of Bermuda, and after two standout races at the venue last year that witnessed a Norwegian men’s podium sweep and local hero Flora Duffy charge to a solo victory, there was a lot to live up to. While there might not have been the drama of 2018, the racing again produced a fitting spectacle, with plenty of interesting takeaways. Here 220 columnist Tim Heming takes a closer look…
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1. Consistent Zafares is now a consistent winner. USA’s Katie Zafares has been both upbeat and up in the top 10 since she first competed at World Series level in 2014. But while her ranking has steadily improved, it could be levelled that until this season 17 podiums had only resulted in a single victory. Not any more. Zafares win in Bermuda means a 100% start to 2019 as she backed up success in Abu Dhabi and justified her world No 1 ranking. She is now, resoundingly, the woman to beat.
2. Gomez is back and doesn’t look as if he’s been away. The five-time ITU world champion had not raced on the World Series since the Grand Final in Rotterdam in 2017, but after an ominous fifth place in a World Cup race in New Zealand, his runner-up position here showed his thoroughbred qualities. There are plenty of ‘ifs’ and ‘maybes’, but while Gomez’s return might threaten most of the field, it could also signal good news for the Brownlees. The tactical nuances of triathlon racing mean that while the Spaniard was once their arch-nemesis, he could now be a staunch ally in trying to carve out swim-bike breakaways to distance the faster runners, giving all three their best shot at glory.
3. The top step is Learmonth’s challenge. While neutrality should be an important part of a reporter’s repertoire, it’s hard not to be swayed by Jess Learmonth. In Bermuda, we once again saw her honest endeavours at the head of the race (and honest appraisal afterwards), but while it secured a fifth WTS podium, it’s tricky to see how they’ll be turned into victories any time soon. Her run form is improving, and little should be read into the 10km splits given the lion share of work she puts in on the bike, but leaving T2 having shaken off a runner of the calibre of Zafares or previously Flora Duffy, is her only chance of victory in the short term – and that looks unlikely.
4. Bermuda is a corker of a venue, not only due to Corkscrew Hill. Even without the drama of last year’s World Series races, the tiny island still made for a successful stopover on the ITU calendar. It was a shame for all that Duffy, whose face adorned every giant promotional poster on the island, had to withdraw from the elite racing (she did cycle in an age-group relay), but this second edition showed what a great course – with 10 climbs up the steep, twisting Corkscrew Hill – engaging crowds and plenty of drama can achieve. Bermuda hosts the Grand Final in 2021 and let’s hope it continues as a WTS staple thereafter.
5. Brownlee misses Brownlee. Jonathan had an off day in Bermuda, but it was still clear he missed older brother Alistair’s legs and enthusiastic encouragement on the bike. Despite the Yorkshireman’s best efforts early on, the large front pack never looked organised or committed enough to keep the chasers at bay, and Jonny even looked to be remonstrating with Vincent Luis as their lead perished. The frustration was understandable – particularly on a course where breakaways have been shown to stick – and having Alistair there would surely have changed the contest’s complexion.
6. Luis remains an enigma. Vincent Luis looks to have the qualities to be the best triathlete in the world – including a dangerous sprint finish. Despite Dorian Coninx’s win here, Luis is still the pick of a strong crop of Frenchmen, having won the past two WTS Grand Finals and looking head-and-shoulders the best triathlete at the new Super League format at the start of the year. In non-wetsuit conditions in Bermuda, he even led out the swim ahead of the likes of Slovakian Richard Varga and South African Henri Schoeman and while Luis didn’t dominate on the bike, he looked well placed to capitalise on the run, before his challenge wilted in the final kilometres as he slipped to fourth. It brought back memories of the Rio Olympics in 2016 where he looked perfectly placed to win a medal over the final 10km but ended an ultimately disappointing seventh. While Luis has the talent, a sense remains that apply enough pressure and there’s a chance he’ll falter.
7. Norwegians look ever-more threatening. The Norwegian endurance set-up may be best known for its middle distance running family, the remarkable Ingebrigtsens, but its triathlon programme – small but intensely focussed – is now rivalling the leading training squads in the world. The triumvirate of Casper Stornes, Kristian Blummenfelt, Gustav Iden took last year’s Bermuda race by storm, and while 2019 didn’t play out to the same script, they still affected the race greatly, hunting down the break on the bike and allowing Iden to repeat his third-place finish of last year. But it is not just the men’s side worth noting. Lotte Miller might have finished eighth in Bermuda, but played an integral role driving the bike breakaway alongside Zafares and Learmonth and retained a podium position almost to the last lap of the run.
8. Non Stanford is running. Faster. It won’t be a race the Welsh triathlete will cherish, she languished 33rd in the swim, 74sec off the pace and didn’t even make the chasing bike pack, but she did produce the fastest run split of the day – rare for someone not in contention for a podium position – to finish with 34.21 for 13th place. It shows the new training switch to Joel Filliol’s squad is paying dividends, if less through the intensity of the sessions, but for consistency and staying injury-free. Yokohama may come too soon for her to challenge for the necessary podium that would go a long way towards Olympic selection, but after fifth-place in Abu Dhabi, there are signs she can be a genuine threat – and of the British women, she possesses the fastest final leg that will be critical come Tokyo.
9. British men need points. Jonathan Brownlee, the only British man racing, finished 11th, to underline the current void in British men’s short course racing, and it’s slack that others need to pick up if Team GB is to comfortably qualify all three individual Olympic berths for Tokyo. Jonathan and the consistent Tom Bishop should play their part, but with no Alistair Brownlee at present, the next generation of Gordon Benson, Marc Austin and Grant Sheldon – all junior or world Under-23 medallists – hasn’t burst through either, and it’s a lot to ask of either the developing Barclay Izzard or Ben Dijkstra. Alex Yee was impressive for second in Abu Dhabi, so Britain should be fine in cementing its powerhouse status, but it is a little quiet at WTS level at present.
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10. Yokohama Olympic qualification race is almost here. Already. The first chance of securing one of two necessary podiums for Olympic qualification (the other being the Tokyo test event) for most British elite triathletes is now just three weeks away, yet it feels that only Jess Learmonth and Alex Yee are in anything like the form they’d desire. The British selection policy is routinely written to try and put a belt and braces on potential medal-winning triathletes going to Tokyo, rather than a freak race earning an unlikely candidate a spot. But Yokohama in May could be the best chance for someone outside the obvious contenders to stake a claim. The current start-lists include Bishop, Brownlee and Yee for the men, and Holland, Stanford, Learmonth and Taylor-Brown for the women.
St. George, Utah, has been selected to host the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championships. Qualification will begin in July of 2020 with an estimated 200,000 registered athletes from around the world expected to try and qualify at one of the 110 events in the global Ironman 70.3 series.
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In addition, each age-group winner at the 2020 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Taupõ, New Zealand, will automatically qualify for the 2021 70.3 World Championship.
“Our course showcases some of the most dramatic landscapes on the Ironman 70.3 circuit. The powerful combination of scenery and terrain is backed up by an energetic community that’s exhilarated to host such an iconic event. Athletes who have raced here rave about the experience. Those who haven’t are about to find out why,” says Kevin Lewis, Director of Washington County Tourism.
Ironman have also announced the introduction of a new full-distance Ironman triathlon that will rotate between a series of cities across North America, beginning with St. George in 2020. The rotation will bring host cities a full-distance Ironman every three years with St. George again hosting the full Ironman distance event in 2023.
The 2020 and 2023 events will also be designated as the North American Championship and general registration for the 2020 event will open on Tuesday, May 21. As it will be designated the Ironman North American Championship, the event will have an elevated professional prize purse and offer 75 age-group qualification slots to the 2020 Ironman World Championship.
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St. George, will continue to put on 70.3 events in the other years (2019, 2021 and 2022), giving athletes the chance to prepare on the same courses. an
“Utah continues to enhance its reputation as the State of Sport by attracting world class sports events and executing on its sport and Olympic Legacy strategies,” said Jeff Robbins, President and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission. “St. George is the perfect setting to host six events over the five-year term of this agreement with Ironman. This includes the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championship, which will bring thousands of competitors and guests from over 100 countries to Utah. The Utah Sports Commission is excited to support these world class events as the presenting sponsor,” said Robbins.
The course has historically begun in the beautiful Sand Hollow Reservoir before embarking on a bike course through picturesque Snow Canyon State Park prior to a run through the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve.
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Alistair Brownlee won the 70.3 St. George event in 2017 in commanding fashion on his 70.3 debut.