The new format allows more athletes to compete as they are sent off one by one. The dynamic, quick tempo race style also provides a strong platform for younger athletes to prepare for the leap to elite racing.

“I’d like to extend a warm thank you to the ITU team to permit us to work on a new format like this,” said Triathlon Austria President Walter Zettinig, “We are looking forward to organizing a great World Cup race in Kitzbühel again.”

While the Kitzbühel World Cup will be contested after the close of the Olympic qualification period, this fast and furious format will be an ideal race for athletes to hone their speed ahead of the Rio Olympics.  

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“We are sure this new format will highlight the ability for individuals to perform,” said LOC Director Herwig Grabner. “The shorter distance in the finals will be highly attractive to TV broadcasters, which will enable us to show spectators how fast and attractive our sport is.”

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Taking place on 8 April at 6.30pm it will be running it on a first-come-first-served basis, limited to 60 places. Topics in her talk will include her transition from an age grouper to newbie pro; to Kona qualifier to Kona runner up, and themes will include changing expectations, and beliefs  

 Rachel Joyce is one of the world¹s top long-distance triathletes, with world and European long-distance titles to her name plus three Kona podium finishes.

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A popular presence on the pro tri scene, Joyce has finished in the top 10 at the Ironman World Champs six times. Joyce, a vocal supporter of gender equality and pro rights, recently announced in the pages of 220 that 2016 would be her last shot at the M-dot crown, so don¹t miss this unique opportunity to meet one of the sport¹s finest athletes, both on and off the course.

We are also offering a two for one ticket offer to the show here 

Check out Rachel’s tips on training like an athlete

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This is the race’s 15th year and they are expecting their 20,000th competitor who on crossing the line will win the goodies.

The race is organised by Human Race and start with a 400m open water swim in the clear and clean waters of Eton Dorney Lake, one of the iconic venues of the 2012 Olympic Games. Triathletes then take to the closed, flat road circuit for a 4-lap bike course covering 21.2k of the spectacular 450-acre parkland. The final 5k run follows a two lap loop along the side of the rowing tank on tarmac paths.

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To sign up and be in with a chance of becoming the 20,000 finisher visit: www.humanrace.co.uk/triathlon  

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Abu Dhabi is the only Middle Eastern city to ever host a WTS event, and this year it will be over an Olympic distance rather than the sprint distance in 2015.

The men are set to compete first on Saturday, with six of the top 10 ranked men from 2015 on the start list.

Sitting at the top is the Abu Dhabi reigning champion Mario Mola (ESP), who triumphed last year.  In his final push, he recorded the fastest 5km run split in the history of the WTS, a record he maintained until he beat it himself later that year.

His opponents include South Africa’s Richard Murray had a phenomenal 2015 season and ended it ranked 4th overall. Other names to watch out for is the Spaniard Fernando Alarza, Ryan Bailie (AUS), Crisanto Grajales (MEX) and Joao Pereira (POR).

Representing Britain will be Tom Bishop who is ranked 7th in the WTS stats and Adam Bowden, who is ranked 25th who will both be hoping to impress selectors and get the third place on the Olympic team. The Brownlees, who have already been selected for Rio, are unfortunately not competing in Abu Dhabi.

 The women’s race will be equally fiercely contested, and although two-time World Champion and reigning Abu Dhabi victor Gwen Jorgensen (USA) won’t be there, her compatriots Sarah True and Katie Zaferes are top the women’s start list.

True was the second runner-up for the World Champion title last season, after finishing third in the overall Columbia Threadneedle Rankings, and gracing three WTS podiums in 2015 including taking top spot at Stockholm World Triathlon 2015.

 Rachel Klamer (NED) and Flora Duffy (BER) are the only other two women to appear on the start list that finished in the top 10 of the Columbia Threadneedle Rankings last year.

Reigning Olympic gold medallist Nicola Spirig (SUI) is also making her first season WTS appearance this weekend.

Other dangerous names on the start list to keep an eye on this season is Japan’s Ai Ueda, Australians Ashleigh Gentle and Erin Densham.

Representing Great Britain will be Helen Jenkins and Jodie Stimpson who will have their eye firmly on Rio and gaining that third place (Non Stanford and Vicky Holland met the automatic selection criteria for Rio).

 As a tribute to the late, beloved Laurent Vidal, the No. 1 position in the men’s and women’s start list has been left open.

If you have a Triathlon Live pass you can also watch all of the action live at triathlonlive.tv  or if you are not near a decent screen follow us on twitter @220Triathlon as we tweet all the action,  and join the conversation with the hashtags #WTSAbuDhabi and #CTrank

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See some images from WTS Abu Dhabi 2015 mens here

Race reports: Abu Dhabi WTS 2015 women’s / Abu Dhabi WTS 2015 Men’s

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With both Brownlees and reigning champion Javier Gomez choosing to sit the first event out, hopes were pinned on training partners Richard Murray (Commonwealth bronze medallist) and Mario Mola, runner-up in last year’s world series.

From Team GB, Tom Bishop and Adam Bowden were flying the flag, both keen to impress the Olympic selectors for that final pilot position alongside the Brownlee brothers.

In a break from the usual two-laps-of-750m format, the Abu Dhabi course saw athletes do an initial non-wetsuit 1km lap followed by a second lap of 500m. Unable to replicate his phenomenal swim from last year’s Worlds in Chicago, which eventually saw him take the race win over teammate Javier Gomez, Mola exited the water towards the back of the field. To compound his disappointing start to the season, he then incurred a 15sec penalty for ‘equipment outside of the box’ in transition.

South Africa’s Henri Schoeman led the field of 67 men into T1 after 18:09mins, forming a front group of 12 athletes, which also included GB’s Bishop. Murray had made the second chase group; Mola the third and final.

Over the first lap of 13km, little changed but as the laps reduced in length – six of 4.5km – the packs started to consolidate. By the start of the final lap, Italy’s Alessandro Fabien made a break, pulling out a gap of 12secs by T2.

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But by that second transition the likes of Mola and Murray, the race’s strongest runers, were in the main chasing group behind the Italian.

Bolting out of T2, Mola soon took up the helm of the race, conscious of the 15sec penalty that he still had to serve. Halfway through, and with a 12sec gap over Murray, Portugal’s Joao Silva and teammate Fernando Alarza, Mola pulled over to the penalty box. Restarting the race, he was back up with the leading trio within a minute… before passing them once more and taking the lead.

As Alarza dropped off and into fourth place, Mola continued to extend his lead, with Murray firmly ensconced in second and Silva in third.

While Murray gave good chase over the final 2.5km, Mola would cross the line in 1:46:39, Murray 15secs down in second, Silva third 29secs down. Bowden would cross the line in 11th, 1:11min behind and Bishop in the top 30.

Stay tuned for the women’s report and for live coverage follow us on Twitter @220Triathlon

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Read the race report for the 2016 WTS Abu Dhabi Women’s here

Leading from the horn to T1 was Spain’s Carolina Routier, stepping back on terra firma after 18:47mins. Also making that crucial front pack of 10 was True, Jenkins, Katie Zaferes (USA) and strong cyclist Flora Duffy (BER)

GB’s Stimpson and former D-Squad teammate and Olympic silver medallist Lisa Norden dug in deep in the chase pack to bridge the gap during the first half of the first 13km lap and form one large lead group of 25 athletes. Olympic gold medallist Spirig finished the first lap 35secs down at the helm of the chase group, doing the majority of the leg work to bridge the gap with few strong cyclists to help her.

Reminiscent of the Brownlees’ cycling style, and no doubt conscious that the Olympic selectors would be closely watching the two Brit girls’ performance, Jenkins could be seen ‘encouraging’ the lead pack to push the pace and share the work load.

The American pairing of True and Zaferes spent the majority of the 40km bike leg sitting in, saving their legs for the final 10k.

Onto the penultimate 4.5km lap, and Spirig had dragged that chase pack up to the lead group, setting the stage for the final 10km showdown.

But with metres to go before transition, a crash caught out both True and Spirig. But with True able to continue cycling, the London gold medallist was forced to abandon her bike and jog to her stand. Pulling on her trainers over a minute down on the lead runners, she started the 10k but would eventually drop out.

As France’s Emmie Charayron and Bermuda’s Flora Duffy made their way to the head of the race, Brit duo Stimpson and Jenkins raced side by side and were soon on their heels, the four racing together throughout the first of four laps.

Aussie Ashleigh Gentle caught the leaders to form a lead quintet at the end of lap one but Charayron soon dropped off, leaving the final four to trade places over the remainder of the run leg.

With True and teammate Zaferes both forced to pull the plug, it was Renee Tomlin who stepped up to the plate for Team USA, racing into fifth place throughout the 10k to the line.

On the final lap, Stimpson kicked, leading to the tape to take the first win of the series and her first WTS victory since Cape Town 2014. Gentle ran in for second, Jenkins third, setting the Brit girls up for the final qualification race in Gold Coast at the start of April. 

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Read the race report from the 2016 WTS Abu Dhabi Men’s here

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The suit was tried by professional triathlete Sara McLarty at last year’s Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon where the swim is held in the chilly waters of San Francisco Bay.

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 Sara said: “The Thermal Helix made a huge difference in the temperature of my core and extremities while swimming in water below 55 degrees [12 degrees Celsius]. Just like the other Helix models, it maintained it’s flexibility, comfortable fit, and buoyancy in all the right places.” 

“We analysed what the dive and surf industries do for cold-water adventures and we pushed our manufacturing team to establish new ways to glue, stitch and tape,” said Mike Orton, blueseventy’s Brand and Product Manager

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The Thermal Helix is available now at select blueseventy retailers and blueseventy.co.uk.  

Look out for a review in an upcoming issue of 220 Triathlon magazine 
Read a review of blueseventy’s Helix wetsuit here
Find more reviews of the latest swim gear here

 Skipper finished 1:39 behind the winner Cameron Brown, who has now won the event 12 times and, at the age of 43, has extended his own world record as the oldest winner of any Ironman race.

“That was the toughest. And aside from that first win here, this would have to go down as the best,” says Brown. “I’m a couple of months shy of my 44th birthday so to win this for a 12 time, and set a new course record is incredibly special. The conditions were perfect. I had my best swim and my best bike times ever. I was pushed so hard by Callum (Millward) and I am really suffering but this means so much to me.” 

Despite rating her chances of competing in Ironman New Zealand as minimal due to injuries when she boarded the plane a month ago Lucy Gossage put in a sterling performance to finish 2nd behind the winner in a time of 9:05:07

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“I had a very decent swim for me [0:55:44],” she says. “I rode better than ever and didn’t let a puncture 20 miles into the race play with my head too much (in fact maybe it made my day – never before has the phrase ‘the only pace is suicide pace’ seem more apt). I was angry from that point on, having ridden myself up from 11th to 6th and then ended up back in 12th and my riding reflected this! Apparently I ended up with the bike course record [4:51:38] despite the puncture”

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“Meredith is a bit of a hero of mine and I’m more than happy to come second behind such a gracious legend,” she says. “I went into the race not really certain whether or not I would finish and certainly didn’t expect to end up on the podium.”A run in 3:12:10 meant she finished nine minutes behind Meredith Kessler who completed the course in 8:56:07, which beat her own course record by nearly 10 minutes.

Runners will then proceed along the Valley Trail around Lost Lake and along Green Lake before a short loop through Whistler Village and finishing down Blackcomb Way.

Ironman 70.3 Canada offers 30 slots to the 2017 Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Chattanooga, Tennessee

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