It’s the first race of 2011 Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series and all of the world's best have come out to play.
The top ten men in the world from 2010, including World Champion Javier Gomez (ESP), 2009 World Champion Alistair Brownlee (GBR) and 2008 Olympic champion Jan Frodeno (GER), are in Australia for the season opener.
In the women's field, nine out of the top 10 women from 2010, plus 2008 Olympic champion Emma Snowsill (AUS) who is back from an injury-ravaged year, are ready to strut their stuff in Sydney. Defending champions Barbara Riveros Diaz (CHI) and Bevan Docherty (NZL) are also in the mix in what is set to be a thrilling opening race-day.
As 2011 is an Olympic qualifying season in which every race has qualifying points on offer, the competition will be fast and furious from the start.
Click here for full race preview.
Sydney has played host to some important triathlon moments, but the biggest was the 2000 Olympic Games when triathlon made Olympic debut. Simon Whitfield (CAN) and Brigitte McMahon (SUI) were crowned the sport's first Olympic gold medallists. Sydney is the largest city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales and has a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million.
SCHEDULE:
Elite women start - Sunday, April 10 - 11:15am (UTC/GMT + 10) Click here for time in your area
Elite men start - Sunday, April 10 - 2:05pm (UTC/GMT + 10) Click here for time in your area
START LISTS:
Click here for women's start list
Click here for men's start list
LIVE COVERAGE:
Live video coverage from Sydney will be available on race day at triathlonlive.tv
Or follow @triathlonlive on Twitter for text updates on race day.
TOTAL PRIZE MONEY:
$150,000 USD (equal for men & women)
COURSE PROFILE:
Swim - Two-lap, 1.5kilometre swim with a pontoon start into Farm Cove, wetsuits are not expected.
Bike - Eight-lap, 40-kilometre leg that starts with transition in front of the Opera house, each lap is flat and technical and goes past the Opera House, down the Cahill expressway and Macquarie Street. Run - Four-lap, 10-kilometre run starts with transition two on College Street and then laps down Macquarie Street, before the finish on College Street.
STORIES TO WATCH FOR:
Emma Snowsill's 2011 debut - All eyes are set to be on Australian Emma Snowsill as the Beijing Olympic gold medallist makes her 2011 debut. Snowsill pulled out of the first ITU Triathlon World Cup of the season in Mooloolaba two weeks ago as a precautionary measure. Sydney will be the first race since she decimated the field at the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Grand Final Budapest last year. Snowsill's 2010 season was littered with injury, putting her out of contention for the title, but this year she trained in South Africa in the off-season and will be after her place in history. Snowsill already has three ITU world titles, no other woman has more than two, but she could make it four.
Men's best do battle - The top ten ranked men from 2010 are all in Sydney to start the first race, as well as last year's winner Bevan Docherty (NZL). But the focus will firmly be on that magical three of Javier Gomez (ESP), Alistair Brownlee (GBR) and Jan Frodeno (GER). The respective reigning World Champion, 2009 World Champion and 2008 Olympic Champion haven't raced against each other since last year's Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Grand Final Budapest. In that race, Brownlee won but Gomez claimed the world title while Frodeno fell away sharply, finishing 41st and letting a podium place fall out of his reach for the second year in a row. It's always an intriguing battle between the three and it's rare to have it so early in the season.
PREVIOUS RESULTS
11 April 2010 - Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Sydney
1. Barbara Riveros Diaz (CHI) 2:04:19 1. Bevan Docherty (NZL) 1:51:27
2. Andrea Hewitt (NZL) 2:04:19 2. Alexander Brukhankov (RUS) 1:51:33
3. Emma Moffatt (AUS) 2:04:20 3. David Hauss (FRA) 1:51:34
