AUSSIE YOUNG GUNS TAKE ON WORLD’S BEST IN STOCKHOLM

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Triathlon Australia, August 22, 2013: Australia’s young guns will be front and centre against the best in the world in this weekend’s World Triathlon Series round in Stockholm – the final hit out before the ITU Grand Final in London next month.

With the Australian big names, including Olympians Emma Moffatt, Emma Jackson and Erin Densham sitting this one out, attention will focus on the future stars of the sport.

The women’s field will see Under 23 representatives, Vitoria-based Wollongong training partners Charlotte McShane, Natalie Van Coevorden and Tamsyn Moana-Veale take on ITU World Rankings leaders Anne Haug (GER), Jodie Stimpson (BGR), Gwen Jorgensen (USA) and Non Stanford (GBR) who are all chasing World Championship honours.

Throw in Sweden’s own London Olympic silver medallist, defending champion Lisa Norden (who will make her 2013 WTS debut) into the mix and it’s going to be game on over the Olympic distance course.

Twenty-year-old Van Coevorden, who is sitting in 30th position after a year of consistent racing despite suffering a painful rib injury earlier in the season, is up for the challenge of racing the best and a technical course.

“It will be a great opportunity to see how my training has progressed since Hamburg over what is very challenging course but I am excited that I have been given the chance to challenge myself,” said Van Coevorden.

“I really enjoyed the course last year with its technical components and I am ready to take it on again.

“This is a perfect race for me, being an Olympic distance to test my fitness levels out before London in a few weeks time.

“There will be plenty of technical components but I am confident in my skills and my ability to ride this course.

“Last year was crazy fast and I didn’t have the race I wanted or trained for so I am back this year to change that.”

For her fellow 20-year-old Moana-Veale, Stockholm will see her make her WTS debut – another major step up for a youngster who has caught the eye with her World Cup form this season and subsequent selection in the Australian team for London.

“I only found out a week ago that I was racing in Stockholm so this weekend is just about getting experience at this level of racing,” said Moana-Veale, who admits her training has been great preparation for London.

“I haven’t set any outcome based expectations, I just want to have the best race I can and do everything I need to do in a high pressure situation.”

Having McShane and Van Coevorden alongside her will certainly make her feel at home.

McShane, 23 and ranked at 22 in the ITU World Rankings says she too is excited to be coming back to Stockholm after racing there last year over the sprint distance.

“The course is one of the most challenging technically that I’ve ever done, which is something I really enjoy,” says McShane.

“I’m expecting it to be a really hard and fast race from the start with a solid start list and everyone here in top form with London just around the corner.

“Being my last major race before London I’ll be looking to see what gains I’ve made in training over the past few weeks.

“I didn’t have a great performance in Hamburg so Stockholm will be a good indicator if any tweaking is needed going into the final training phase.”

The men’s race will feature Australia’s leading male on the WTS Rankings Ryan Bailie who will be joined by fellow World Championship team mates Cameron Good and Ryan Fisher and London Olympian Brendan Sexton, who will make his 2013 WTS Olympic Distance debut.

The top end of the men’s field will feature seven of the top ten athletes in the world – including world ranked number one, Spain’s Javier Gomez and his fellow super-heroes of the sport, Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee and his Olympic bronze-medal winning brother, defending champion Jonathan as they chase the coveted world crown.

Twenty-two-year-old Fisher, who has his sights firmly set on the World Under 23 title in London, is looking forward to his final hit out.

“Not much can be done in the way of physical preparation this close to the World Championships so Stockholm for me will be a good chance to freshen up and test myself against the best (in the world) and I’ll be out to simulate the performance I’m looking for in London,” said the young Queenslander.

“I haven’t raced since the Palamos World Cup almost a month-and-a-half ago so I’ve been able to get in a big block of training and work on a few things.

“Stockholm will be a good chance to show that and hopefully take some confidence into the Grand Final.”

Sexton, who had a late start to the WTS season after recovering from a foot injury which subsequently saw him miss selection for London, is determined to finish the Series on a high.

“I’m just here to put the work I’ve been putting together in training into a race performance,” said Sexton.

“Obviously this is my first Olympic Distance race since the ITU Grand Final in Auckland last year so I’m not sure what to expect competing against guys who’ve been knocking out races at this level for months now.

“It’s my first and last chance to put some runs on the board at WTS level this year so I don’t intend on wasting it.

“It’s a course where anything could happen, you just need to keep your head down until you cross the finish line then look up to see where you are.

“Training has been moving well. The boys in the group (including Ryan Bailie and Aaron Royle) are flying in preparation for London so to be able to keep up with them in training I know I’m moving in the right direction.”

Race Times (AEST):

Elite Women – 9.20pm-11.20pm (Saturday night)

Elite Men – 11.30pm-1.30am (Sunday night)

LIVE COVERAGE:
Live video coverage will be available on race day at triathlon.org/tv or at @triathlonlive on Twitter.

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ITU Preview: 2013 ITU World Triathlon Series showdown in Stockholm

Stockholm, Sweden (20 August 2013) As the penultimate race of the 2013 World Triathlon Series it’s not surprising that the stars will turn out in Stockholm this weekend. Both the men’s and women’s fields boast almost every athlete that is still within reach of claiming the overall 2013 World Triathlon Series title, and more who could still claim a place on the podium, which means Sweden is set for some fast and furious series action. This year Stockholm is a full Olympic distance race, after it debuted on the circuit in 2012 with a sprint distance.
Click here to read the full preview

About the race:
The capital of Sweden is over 700 years old and the greater metropolitan area now has a

population of over two million, making it one of the largest cities in Scandinavia. Built on 14 islands around one of Europe’s largest and best-preserved medieval city centres, it is located by the Baltic Sea. It’s also a vibrant, modern city, famous for producing sleek designs, edgy fashion and world-class nightclubs. Stockholm also has a strong sporting history, the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games set the benchmark for the Olympics of the modern era. It was the first time athletes from all five continents participated, and the first time live timing, photo finishes and a public address system were used.

SCHEDULE:
Elite Women - Saturday 24 August - 13:20 (UTC/GMT + 2) Click here for time in your area
Elite Men - Sunday 25 August - 15:30 (UTC/GMT + 2) Click here for time in your area

WEBSITE:http://stockholm.triathlon.org/

START LISTS:

Click here for women’s start list
Click here for men’s start list

TOTAL PRIZE MONEY: $180,000 USD (equal for men & women)

COURSE PROFILE: Course Map
Swim (1.5km) Off a pontoon start, athletes will swim two 750m laps.
Bike (40km) After transitioning in front of Stockholm Palace, athletes will bike a ten-lap
4km technical course that circles through the Old Town of Stockholm and includes one small hill near the transition area.
Run (10km) Off the bike, athletes will transition again in front of Stockholm Palace and run four laps of a 2.5km run course.

STORIES TO WATCH FOR:

The battle for the overall 2013 World Triathlon Series titles
Not only is it a stellar field in both races, but as the penultimate race in a fascinating 2013 World Triathlon Series season where the race for rankings points will loom almost as large as the race outcome, it’s must-watch action. In the men’s those still within reach of the series podium include Alistair Brownlee, Jonathan Brownlee, Javier Gomez, Richard Murray and Sven Riederer, although Gomez currently holds a commanding lead in the quest for his third ITU World Championship. In the women’s Germany’s Anne Haug regained her spot at the top of the rankings after a stellar win at home in Hamburg last month, but overall there is very little that separates the pint-sized German star and the other women who have taken World Triathlon Series wins alongside her in 2013, Jodie Stimpson, Gwen Jorgensen and Non Stanford. Overall, this weekend in Stockholm is set to have a very big say on the overall 2013 results.

Olympic silver medallist Lisa Norden to return at home
Stockholm will see the return of London 2012 Olympic silver medallist and last year’s event winner Lisa Norden. After taking the early part of the year to ramp up her triathlon distance, with some impressive results, Norden returns to ITU racing for the first time since taking out the 2012 WTS title with a gutsy performance in Auckland. While she admits on her blog she is lacking run fitness due to some foot issues this year, Norden will certainly have plenty of crowd support when she takes to her home course.

Brownlee, Brownlee and Gomez - another podium?
So far in their ITU careers, Alistair Brownlee, Jonathan Brownlee and Javier Gomez have raced against each other 13 times. Out of that 13, they have shared the podium four times. That doesn’t seem that foreboding until you unpick that those four results came from the past five races they all hit the startline, across the past three years. The last two races were a year apart, the London 2012 Olympic Games and the Hamburg sprint event this year. While the podium spots were slightly switched up, it was still those three on top. It’s also key to note that in the men’s field, no-one else but those three has actually won a WTS race in 2013.

PREVIOUS STOCKHOLM WINNERS
ITU World Triathlon Series Winners

Elite Women Elite Men

2012 Lisa Norden (SWE) Jonathan Brownlee (GBR)

Ian Hanson

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