AUSSIE TRIATHLETES HIT THE STREETS OF HAMBURG FOR LONDON WARM UP

TRIATHLON, July 19, 2012: Australia’s Olympic triathletes will have their final hit out before London 2012 when they hit the streets of Hamburg this weekend for the next round of the ITU Triathlon World Championship Series.

Unlike the previous years the 2012 round –the 10th successive year for Hamburg - will be a sprint format (750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run) - an ideal hit out before the Olympics which will hit the streets of London on August 4 (women’s) and August 7 (men’s).

It was here last year that saw the Australians triumph with the three Emmas – Moffatt, Jackson and Snowsill producing their famous 1-2-3 finish with Brad Kahlefeldt outstanding to win the men’s race on his favourite course.

While Beijing bronze medallist Moffatt elected to spend most of the Games lead-up at home on the Gold Coast under coach Craig Walton while her team mates have been in France and Spain putting the finishing touches to their Games preparations.

Moffatt arrived into the Australian team camp at Aix Les Bains in France this week all smiles and ready to attack her second Olympic Games.

Her fellow women’s team members, in-form Beijing team mate Erin Densham has been between Font Romeu and Spain while debutant Jackson has been in Majorca and Aix Les Bains.

Beijing team mates Kahlefeldt and Courtney Atkinson have been together in Aix les Bains after Kahlefeldt’s recovery from pneumonia and Atkinson’s stint in California.

While men’s debutant Brendan Sexton has flitted between Spain and the high altitude of Font Romeu with training partner Aaron Royle.

Australian head coach Shaun Stephens has stressed to his team that while there will be points allocated for the ITU World Championships it’s all about London.

“This weekend's racing is more about focussing on the process of racing, blowing out the cobwebs, than it is about winning the race,” said Stephens.

“We are stressing to the athletes that the important race is two weeks later and hence they need to use the race as part of their build up to London and assessing their final preparation requirements.”

Stephens reported that Kahlefeldt, following his hospitalisation after the San Diego round was very much back on track.

“Brad is very strong at the moment and his performance in Paris (where he was fourth in a Grand Prix event) has given him the confidence he needed after the set-back he experienced earlier in the year,” said Stephens.

The women’s race will also include Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle, who won the ITU Round in Hungary last weekend, Felicity Sheedy-Ryan and Natalie Van Coevorden while in the men Canary Wharf winner Royle and Peter Kerr will bolster the men’s fields.

Meanwhile Ireland’s Aileen Morrison will wear No.1 in the women’s race and the second largest city in Germany already has happy memories, it was where she claimed her first WTS medal back in 2010.

Now fresh from a silver medal in Madrid, Morrison is gunning for her first WTS series win and with it, could jump to second overall in the overall rankings.

Germany’s Anne Haug has been in stellar form this year, with two seventh place finishes in Sydney and San Diego before a sprint to the line in Madrid saw her clinch fourth place and seal her Olympic spot.

Others to watch include soon to be Olympians Kate McIlroy (NZL), Nicky Samuels (NZL), Sarah Groff (USA), Annamaria Mazzetti (ITA) and four-time Olympian Anja Dittmer (GER), who is always in contention, especially at home.

In the men’s race Russia’s Alexander Bryukhankov and Dmitry Polyanskiy will wear the No.1 and No.2 in this race respectively, and just like in the women’s, it could finally be a chance for either to step on top of the podium.

Bryukhankov currently has six series medals, five silver and one bronze, and is the most successful man in series history yet to win a race.

Polyanksiy has seven top-5 results in series history, but again, is yet to take a title.

The Russian men also currently lead the rankings while Bryukhankov will hold the No.1 spot no matter what happens, another podium result could see them take an impressive lead into the final three races, Stockholm, Yokohama and the Auckland Grand Final.

Those trying to stop the Russian 1-2 include Switzerland’s Sven Riederer, who has already collected five series medals but not a series win, South Africa’s Richard Murray, who lead the world rankings after San Diego, this year’s Sydney winner Steffen Justus and two-time ITU World Champion Javier Gomez.

Gomez is always dangerous. He claimed silver at last year’s sprint world titles in Lausanne.

Others to watch include Beijing Olympic gold medallist Jan Frodeno, New Zealand’s Olympic team of Ryan Sissons, Kris Gemmell and Bevan Docherty, Italy’s Davide Uccellari and Alessandro Fabian. Also expect Lukas Verzbicas to contend, after posting a sub 15-minute run split in last weekend’s Tiszaujvaros semifinals.

MEN’S RACE (Saturday, July 21):  Starts at 6:25pm (Hamburg time); 5:25pm (London Time); 2:25am (Sydney time).

WOMEN’S RACE (Sunday, July 22): Starts at 4pm (Hamburg time); 3pm (London time); Midnight (Sydney).
Follow every movement live through triathlon’s live stream at triathlonlive.tv, Follow on Twitter at twitter.com/triathlonlive.

LONDON OLYMPIC TRIATHLON
August 4, 2012: Women’s Race (9am start)
August 7, 2012: Men’s race (11.30am start)