The organisers of the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) race in Abu Dhabi have had to cancel the event just hours before it was due to start.
In a statement on Instagram, World Triathlon confirmed that the cancellation was down to severe weather forecast for today.
The statement read: "It is with regret that we announce the cancellation of the 2024 World Triathlon Championship Series, Para Cup and Mixed Relay Abu Dhabi, scheduled to take place on Friday 8 March and Saturday 9 March, due to severe adverse weather conditions.
"We do not, at any stage, with to put our athletes in danger and the forecasted adverse weather would have jeopardised the safety of the event.
"The safety of our athletes is of paramount importance and this decision has not been taken lightly."
Spanner in the works...
The race was due to be the season opener for the WTCS, with a number of big names set to race, including reigning champions Beth Potter and Dorian Coninx, plus Cassandre Beaugrand, Vincent Luis, Georgia Taylor-Brown, Alex Yee, Hayden Wilde, Kristian Blummenfelt and many more.
The news also means that athletes may be losing out on a vital opportunity to score ranking points ahead of the Paris Olympics in summer.
World Triathlon's statement continued: "The decision, jointly made by the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), Abu Dhabi Sports Council and World Triathlon, comes after the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority of Abu Dhabi announced that all activities outdoors from Friday 8 March until Sunday 10 March are to be cancelled due to the severe rainfall and thunderstorms forecasted.
"[The three organisations] have tried all possible avenues to host at least the events scheduled for Friday 8 March in a secured and closed venue, but unfortunately this option was also not possible given the need of the region to get ready for the adverse weather circumstances."
It's a disappointing start to what would have been a spectacular weekend of racing, with the PTO's T100 series also kicking off in Miami.
We've contacted World Triathlon to find out whether the event will be rescheduled and what will happen regarding Olympic ranking points, and will update this article when we hear more.
