GB team named for Beijing
Brownlee and Jenkins head east in search of world titles
British Triathlon has confirmed a team of 21 elites to compete at the ITU Triathlon World Championships in Beijing next month, 10-11 September.
Senior, Under23 and Junior world titles will be contested on the 2008 Olympic course, with the GE Great Britain Triathlon Team travelling to China with the number one ranked male and female athletes in the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series.
Alistair Brownlee and Helen Jenkins both rose to the top of the world rankings following their performances in Lausanne last weekend. They will have the opportunity to clinch the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series overall titles in Beijing, but neither will take anything for granted.
Alistair’s lead in the Series is just 120 points over his younger brother, Jonathan, and Jenkins will be mindful that less than 300 points separate the first four women. With 1,200 points on offer to the winner, it‘s all to play for in Beijing.
Jenkins said: “It’s points and half in Beijing, so it’s really important. Finishing on the podium will be a bonus that was not actually an aim at the start of the year.”
Alistair Brownlee added: “It would be fantastic to win the world title. I’ve got three wins [in the Series] and I think that puts me in as strong a position as anyone to win the world title.”
The senior events will have the added incentive of Olympic selection. British Triathlon’s selection policy prioritises top three finishes at Hyde Park and Beijing, and requires another podium finish in other rounds of the Series. Jenkins and the Brownlee brothers have achieved that already, and others could put themselves forward in Beijing.
Will Clarke finished second in Hamburg in July, and goes to the Grand Final ranked eighth in the world. A podium finish in Beijing would put the 26 year old in the frame for a second Olympics.*
The Under23 and Junior events will see the next generation of British triathlon stars race against the best of their peers from around the world. Tom Bishop won silver in the junior event last year in Budapest and will step up to Under23 this year.
Lucy Hall, 19, will take on the world’s best juniors having demonstrated outstanding swimming speed by exiting the water first against senior athletes in the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series events in Hamburg and Lausanne.
The Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series Grand Final Beijing takes place 10-11 September and will be televised by the BBC as well as being live on the internet via triathlonlive.tv. In addition to the team of elite triathletes and paratriathletes, there will also be 270 British Age Group athletes competing for amateur world titles.
GE Great Britain Triathlon Team
Senior Men: Adam Bowden, Alistair Brownlee, Jonathan Brownlee, Will Clarke, Tim Don, Stuart Hayes, Todd Leckie
Senior Women: Liz Blatchford, Vicky Holland, Helen Jenkins, Kerry Lang, Jodie Stimpson
U23 Men: Tom Bishop, Aaron Harris, David McNamee, Matt Sharp
U23 Women: Non Stanford, Lois Rosindale
Junior Men: Marc Austin, Gordon Benson
Junior Women: Lucy Hall
*Up to two male and two female triathletes will be selected by British Triathlon in September and their places in TeamGB will be confirmed by the BOA next July. Should the positions be available, one additional male and one additional female will also be selected next July.
Manisha
