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2011 Elite Sprint and Team Triathlon World Championships Preview

In Lausanne on Saturday and Sunday.

There is not one, not two, but three ITU Triathlon World Championships up for grabs in a weekend of fast and furious racing. In the second ever ITU Elite Sprint Triathlon World Championships, the world’s fastest men and women will be crowned over a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run on Saturday.  This will be the final Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series round before the 2011 ITU World Champions are crowned at the Beijing Grand Final, making the battle for points crucial.

Then on Sunday the individual achievements will be put aside for a day of team glory in the mixed relay Team Triathlon World Championships. Switzerland is the only team to win since the new format was introduced in 2009, can any nation derail its quest for a 3-peat at home?

About the city: Lausanne, home to the Olympic headquarters, has been part of the ITU’s biggest and best events for more than a decade. Lausanne first hosted an ITU World Championships in 1998, then World Cups, European Championships, Aquathlon world titles, another ITU World Championships in 2006, before hosting the Team Triathlon World Championships and the inaugural Sprint Distance world titles in 2010. The swim for both the sprint and team races starts in Lake Geneva, and the bike leg goes past the famed Olympic museum.

SCHEDULE:

Elite Men – Saturday 20 August – 12:50pm (UTC/GMT +2)

Elite Women – Saturday 20 August – 3:00pm (UTC/GMT +2)

Team Triathlon – Sunday 21 August – 1:45pm (UTC/GMT +2)

WEBSITES:

https://www.triathlon.org

https://lausanne.triathlon.org

START LISTS:

Click here for women’s start list

Click here for men’s start list

Click here for Team Triathlon start list

LIVE COVERAGE:

Live video coverage from Lausanne will be available on race day at triathlonlive.tv

Or follow @triathlonlive on Twitter for text updates on race day.

TOTAL PRIZE MONEY:

$100,000 USD (equal for men & women)

COURSE PROFILE: Individual Sprint

Swim – One-lap, 750m swim in Lake Geneva. Water temperature usually averages 18 to 20 degrees Celsius.

Bike – Four-lap, 20km bike that swings through the heart of Lausanne’s city centre and passes by the Olympic museum. Although it’s picturesque, there is no time to take in the view with some technically demanding turns and a 10.5 per cent gradient climb.

Run – Two-lap, 5km run around the edges of Lake Geneva. For a course map, please click here

COURSE PROFILE: Team Triathlon

The Team Triathlon is on the same course as the individual sprint races, just less distance as each team consists of two male and two female athletes goes through the relay. Each will complete a 275m swim, 6km bike and a 1.5km run before tagging the next athlete in transition. For a course map, please click here

CANADIANS RACING

Women: Chantell Widney, Manon Letourneau
Men: Andrew Russell, Andrew Yorke, Andre Paul Baillargeon Smith

STORIES TO WATCH FOR

The fastest triathletes in the world – Last year Jonathan Brownlee and Lisa Norden created history as the first ITU Elite Sprint Triathlon World Champions. This year the stakes are higher, not only is there a world championship on the line, but it is the penultimate round of the 2011 Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series. The top five men, Javier Gomez, Alistair Brownlee, Alexander Brukhankov, David Hauss and Jonathan Brownlee will all race. While in the women’s, Barbara Riveros Diaz, Andrea Hewitt, Emma Moffatt, Helen Jenkins and Sarah Groff all have a valuable chance to put some points on Canadian Paula Findlay – who is not racing in Lausanne. For the current rankings click here.

Record turn-out for Team Triathlon World Championships – A total of 37 teams from 30 different national federations will be on the start line in Lausanne, making it the biggest Team Triathlon World Championships so far. It’s another exciting step forward for the dynamic and exciting format, as the ITU aims for its inclusion in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games programme. Since it’s introduction in 2009, the format has proved a hit and it made its major games debut at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games. A few weeks ago Team Triathlon received another boost, with the news it would be included in the Incheon 2014 Asian Games. Switzerland has won both mixed relay Team Triathlon world titles, and they will be contenders again, but a British team of Alistair Brownlee, Jonathan Brownlee, Helen Jenkins and Jodie Stimpson will almost certainly challenge the home team. The final teams will not be decided until just before the race on Sunday, so stayed tuned to www.triathlon.org for the latest team news then.

PAST ITU SPRINT DISTANCE WORLD TITLE RESULTS

2010 ITU Sprint Distance World Championships Lausanne

WOMEN                                                             MEN

1. Lisa Norden (SWE)                                           1. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR)

2. Emma Moffatt (AUS)                                         2. Tim Don (GBR)

3. Daniela Ryf (SUI)                                              3. David Hauss (FRA)

PAST ITU TEAM TRIATHLON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2010 ITU Team Triathlon World Championships, Lausanne SUI

1. Switzerland (Nicola Spirig, Daniela Ryf, Sven Riederer, Ruedi Wild)

2. France (Frederic Belaubre, David Hauss, Jessica Harrison, Carole Peon)

3. New Zealand (Ryan Sissons, Kate McIlroy, Tony Dodds, Nicky Samuels)

2009 ITU Team Triathlon World Championships, Des Moines USA

1. Switzerland (Magali di Marco, Ruedi Wild, Daniela Ryf, Lukas Salvisberg)

2. Australia (Emma Moffatt, Courtney Atkinson, Emma Snowsill, Brad Kahlefeldt)

3. Canada (Lauren Campbell, Brent McMahon, Kathy Tremblay, Simon Whitfield)