MOFFATT ON FAVOURITE STOMPING GROUND
Triathlon Australia, May 15, 2014: All athletes have their favourite courses and for Emma Moffatt, Hamburg and Yokohama continue to ring true for the former two-time ITU World Champion and two-time Olympian.
The 2008 Olympic bronze medallist will take her place in Saturday’s third round of the ITU World Triathlon Series in the Japan’s second largest city outside the capital and 2020 Olympic host city Tokyo.
And it is fitting that the opening race in the 2016 Olympic qualification period for Rio de Janeiro is Saturday’s WTS round in Yokohama.
“That fact had escaped me…but it doesn’t take long for the next Olympic period to role around and knowing that fact adds even more importance to Saturday’s race,” said Moffatt, who flew into Yokohama yesterday from Brisbane, via Cairns.
“It is important to get amongst the points for Rio early so Australia can qualify our three places for the next Olympics.
“I hope it’s hot and humid – that would certainly suit me over a flat course where I have had a podium finish every time I’ve been here.
“It reminds me very much of Hamburg and that is one of my favourite races.”
Moffatt, pre-selected for this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, would love nothing better than to keep her podium places in tact but also knows that every race on the WTS circuit attracts a red hot field.
Joining her fellow Australians, Olympic and recently announced Glasgow team mate Emma Jackson and 2012 Under 23 ITU World Champion Charlotte McShane, will be Great Britain’s world ranked number one Jodie Stimpson and the USA’s ever-present Gwen Jorgensen, the defending Yokohama champion, who has already unleashed her amazing run legs this season.
Moffatt is currently sitting in sixth on the overall rankings after Auckland and Capetown with Jackson in eighth, the only two Australians in the top ten.
http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/yokohama_womens_preview
About the race:
The ITU World Triathlon Series returns to Yokohama for the fifth time. The series first appeared in Japan in 2009. The Japanese portal city skipped the 2010 series, but it reappeared on the WTS calendar in 2011. Due to the devastating earthquake, the event was postponed to later that year with ranking points counting towards to the 2012 season.
SCHEDULE:
START LISTS:
Click here for women's start list
Click here for men's start list
LIVE COVERAGE:
Live video coverage from Yokohama will be available on race day at triathlonlive.tv or at@triathlonlive on Twitter.
Media are invited to watch the races live on triathlonlive.tv with a complimentary login:
TOTAL PRIZE MONEY:
COURSE PROFILE:
Sprint Distance
Swim (1500m) - Two-laps for a 1500m swim in the sea near Osambashi pier.
Bike (40km) - Five, 8km laps that begin and end in Yamashita park.The bike snakes around the giant Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris Wheel and Yokohama's waterfront.
Run (10km) - Four 2.5km laps around the Kanagawa Prefectural Government Building
The podium returns
All of the 2013 Yokohama medallists will return to their spot of glory this year for another shot at important points towards the Threadneedle rankings. Last year Gwen Jorgensen (USA) collected her second consecutive career WTS win with her signature fiery run across the flat course. Behind her,Emma Moffatt (AUS) and Jodie Stimpson (GBR) gutted it out over the blue carpet with a smiling Moffatt just edging out the Brit.
The Gomez vs Brownlees facts
In the last 20 times that Javier Gomez and Alistair Brownlee have met at WTS races, Alistair has won on 15 of those occasions. But that was then and this is now. Gomez is not waiting to make a move in the Threadneedle rankings, having destroyed the competition, including younger Brownlee brother Jonathan, in the last two WTS events. But as we saw last year in San Diego when Alistair charged away from the competition for the win, missing the first few races of the season has no impact on his ability to win.PREVIOUS YOKOHAMA WINNERS
WOMEN MEN
2013 Gwen Jorgensen (USA) Jonathan Brownlee (GBR)
2012 Lisa Norden (SWE) Joao Silva (POR)
2011 Andrea Hewitt (NZL) Joao Silva (POR)
2009 Lisa Norden (SWE) Jan Frodeno (GER)
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