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1. Commonwealth Games, April 5 & 7
The first day of Games’ action sees the Brownlee brothers, Alistair and Jonny, looking to repeat their one-two finish from Glasgow 2014. In the women’s race, England’s Vicky Holland, Jess Learmonth, Sophie Coldwell, Wales’ Non Stanford, and Scotland’s Beth Potter will all be trying to take down Bermudan favourite Flora Duffy. Throw in the mixed relay and paratri’s debut and it’s a golden start to Gold Coast action.
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Commonwealth Games: how will the triathlon medals fall?
2. European Championship. Glasgow. August 9, 10 & 11
The Euros come to Strathclyde Park as part of a new multisport festival that includes swimming and golf and will be aired on the BBC. Learmonth, 29, will want to defend the title she won in Kitzbuhel last year, and should be suited to the testing course.
3. World Triathlon Mixed Relay Series. Nottingham. June 7
With the two-man, two-woman mixed relay receiving the greenlight for Tokyo 2020, qualifying begins on a Thursday evening on the banks of the River Trent. Expect the British quartet to be firmly in the mix.
4. World Triathlon Series. Leeds. June 9 & 10
South Yorkshire plays host to top level racing for the third straight year. The Brownlees finished one-two in 2016 and 2017 as crowds lined the city centre streets. A hill immediately out of T1 instantly break up the race and will also suit the strong swim-bike talents of Britain’s Learmonth, Coldwell and Lucy Hall.
5. Ironman 70.3 World Championships. South Africa. September 1 & 2
The middle distance world championship could become the Brownlee v Gomez duel that never was in Rio 2016 (Javier Gomez broke his elbow a month before the Olympics). A renewal of the rivalry for Ironman Hawaii clashes to come.
6. World Triathlon Series Grand Final, Gold Coast. September 12-16
Watch out for Jodie Stimpson. The 2014 Commonwealth champion was overlooked to defend her title and has motivation aplenty. On the men’s side, the Grand Final could become another classic Spain v GB match-up, with Jonny Brownlee and reigning world champion Mario Mola going head-to-head.
7. Super League Triathlon. Jersey (TBC)
Bankrolled by a Russian oligarch and with events such as the Eliminator, Super League is designed to shake-up the sport. It certainly shakes up the traditional swim, bike, run format, chopping and changing the order over a super short course.
8. Ironman World Championship. October 13
Now in its 40th year, live streaming from the Big Island will entertain you until the early hours. David McNamee ran to third last year, the best-ever placing by a British man, and compatriot Lucy Charles, just 24, was runner-up. Daniela Ryf will be gunning for a record-equalling fourth consecutive victory, and Gomez may well challenge Germany’s four-year stranglehold over the men’s crown.
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9. Ironman Bahrain 70.3. November/December (TBC)
Having dominated Ironman Dubai 70.3 in February, should Alistair Brownlee clinch the Ironman 70.3 world title, he’ll return to the UAE with a shot of the $1million ‘Triple Crown’ offered by ruling prince, Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa. By far the biggest payday in triathlon.
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Team England have named triathlete Alistair Brownlee as their flagbearer for the Opening Ceremony at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
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Leeds born and bred, Brownlee comes into the 2018 Commonwealth Games (see race times below) as defending champion in both the individual and mixed relay races. At Rio in 2016 he become the first person ever to win back to back Olympic triathlon titles, having first won gold at London 2012.
Team England selected their flagbearer after a vote of all sport team leaders. In casting their vote, each team leader was encouraged to consult their athletes on who they would like to nominate.
Team England flagbearer Alistair Brownlee said: “It’s a massive honour to carry the flag for England at the Commonwealth Games. I can’t imagine what it’ll feel like walking into the stadium with the cross of St George, alongside all the other Commonwealth nations. It’s certainly going to be up there as one of the moments in my career that I’ll always remember.”
Team England Chef de Mission Sarah Winckless said: “Alistair is one of the iconic figures of English sport, his achievements in triathlon are unrivalled. I’m sure that this experience will match all that he has achieved in his career and this’ll be a real moments to savour for Alistair and his family.”
Triathlon team leader Ian Pyper said: “Alistair is a fantastic role model for triathletes and sports people all across England. I’m delighted for him and for the whole triathlon team. Not many people get to carry their team’s flag into the stadium and this is just reward for all of Alistair’s hard work.”
The Commonwealth Games triathlon races start on Thursday morning UK time. The women’s individual final starts at 0:31 and the men’s individual final follows at 4:01.
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The paratriathlon events commence at 0:31 on Saturday morning UK time before the Mixed Relay Triathlon begins at 4:01.
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The Challenge Roth organisers have announced that the 35th anniversary of the classic race will boast a world-class field on 1 July, headed by 2014 Ironman world champ, Sebastian Kienle, and Britain’s new long-distance superstar, Lucy Charles.
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Kienle, 33, last raced in Roth (which we voted as our greatest triathlon in the world here) in 2010 and 2011. Both times he went sub-eight hours (2010: 7:59:06; 2011: 7:57:06), but on both occasions it wasn’t enough to secure the win. In 2010, he was runner up to Rasmus Henning and a year later to Andreas Raelert, who set the new world record. After several years away, Kienle returns to Roth and to the “mother of all long-distance races” with one thing driving him: “I haven’t yet won in Roth and so I am here to fight for that win.”
Jan Raphael, Andreas Dreitz and 2009 Roth champion, Michael Göhner, form a strong trio in the German camp. Brit Joe Skipper is another contender for the title, with Norfolk’s finest finishing behind the record-breaking Jan Frodeno in a time of 7:56:23 at Roth in 2016.
Also there with the expected 200,000+ spectators is Australian Cameron Wurf, a former Olympic rower and professional cyclist, made his mark in Hawaii last year when he out-biked Kienle and broke the course record held by Norman Stadler by more than 5mins.
Former Roth champ James Cunnama, Luke Bell and Jesse Thomas are further proven athletes on the Bavarian startline on Sunday 1st July (a week earlier than Roth’s usual date due to a clash with Ironman Frankfurt).
Strong women on the start line
The major news for Brit tri fans is the addition of Lucy Charles to the women’s pro field. Swim powerhouse Charles, 24, won Ironman Lanzarote in 2017 and was the breakout star at the Ironman World Championships in October after she led from the gun until just before T2, where eventual winner Daniela Ryf passed her.
Another British athlete, Laura Siddall, is back on the Roth start line. Siddall became the first ever Briton to win Ironman New Zealand in March. She also took victory at Ironman Australia in 2017 and two months later finished second at Challenge Roth in a personal best time of 8:51:38.
Joining Charles in Germany will be Kaisa Sali (Ironman Arizona in November 2017) and three-time Roth winner Yvonne van Vlerken. The veteran Dutch star broke the world record at Roth in 2008 but had to settle for third place in both 2016 and 2017.
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www.challenge-roth.de
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Introducing the first podium of the #gc2018triathlon:
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South African Henri Schoeman cruised to Commonwealth Games gold on the Gold Coast, with home hope Jacob Birtwhistle running through for silver and Scotland’s Marc Austin holding on for bronze.
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Congrats to @H_Schoeman for the
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England’s Joe Townsend was crowned the first Commonwealth Games paratriathlon champion having defeated the home favourites on Gold Coast.
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Gold
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Middlesbrough’s Jade Jones-Hall made it paratriathlon double gold for England as she took the Commonwealth title on the Gold Coast.
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Super result by @jade_jones11
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Australia’s youth proved too sharp for an experienced England quartet as the home nation finally won the Commonwealth triathlon gold they were craving on the Gold Coast.
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Team England
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The 2018 ÖTILLÖ swimrun season kicked off with a stunning race and a hard fought battle at the 2nd edition ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series event on the island of Hvar, Croatia. The Mediterranean setting had all the perfect ingredients to make for a spectacular yet very tough swimrun race.
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The 40,4 kilometres long course was a true test, alternating technical trail running with long, challenging stretches of open-water swimming.
THE WINNERS
George Bjälkemo & Pontus Lindberg, Team Garmin (SWE), managed to pull away from the leading pack and cross the finish line as the first team after 5:15:41, almost five minutes ahead of Peter Aronsson & Fredrik Axegård, Team Swimshop.se (SWE).
The very strong Martin Flinta (SWE) & Helena Karaskova Erbenova (CZE) Team Thule Crew finished as first mixed team and 4th overall with the time of 5:34:07.
The first women’s team Fanny Danckwardt & Desirée Andersson (SWE) Team Envol completed an impressive race and finished after 5:53:52 and 13th overall.
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Images by Pierre Mangez/ÖTILLÖ Hvar
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To reward athletes taking on what is considered one of Europe’s most challenging IRONMAN® 70.3® races, IRONMAN has announced that this year’s IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh on July 1, 2018 will offer athletes a unique chance to qualify for both 2018 and 2019’s IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships at the same race.
A total of 50 qualifying slots to the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France, has been added to the event meaning the race will offer 50 slots each to both the 2018 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa, and the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France.
IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh will be the last opportunity for athletes in the UK to secure a ticket for South Africa and the very first opportunity in Europe to qualify for the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France.
Slots will be rewarded based on performance and athletes who earn their slots will have the option of accepting both, leaving athletes to decide whether to test themselves against the world’s best on the southern tip of Africa, in the south of France or both.
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“To become the first race in Europe to offer athletes the chance to qualify for the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships is a great addition to the race and a huge reward for those who choose to take up the challenge in Edinburgh. IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh is a true test for athletes and to be rewarded with the opportunity to go to two World Championships is fitting,” said Richard Pearson, IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh Race Director.
IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh is widely touted as one of Europe’s most challenging races featuring a course that includes a swim in the Firth of Forth, a bike featuring technical ascents and descents through the Lothians and a run in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park under the gaze of the famous extinct volcano, Arthur’s Seat. While the course is challenging it is also abundant in beauty, taking in some of the very best elements of what makes it a true Scottish adventure.
Following his win in Edinburgh in 2017, German professional athlete, Andreas Raelert said: “It’s such a beautiful race course – really challenging, but this course should honestly be the venue for the next IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.”
The combination of the challenge, raw beauty along with being a capital city race, makes IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh one of the most unique races in Europe.
For athletes travelling from outside of Scotland, Edinburgh is a treasure trove of history, culture and entertainment, having been voted the second best city to visit in the UK in a recent traveller’s poll. The beautiful setting of Holyrood Park, provides the perfect stage for athletes and spectators alike, with the finish line within sight of the imposing Royal residence.
In another first for IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh, IRONKIDS Scotland has now been added to the event weekend. In a global first for IRONKIDS, Scotland will see three standalone events taking place across three separate locations along the IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh course. Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian will each host an IRONKIDS Scotland event on Friday.
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Find out more about Ironman 70.3 Edinburgh here