Triathlon returns to Edmonton for the second year in a row this weekend, and the eighth time in the last ten years, but this year there is a twist. The only Canadian stop on the ITU World Cup tour is a sprint distance race, which will be contested over a one lap 750 swim in Hawrelak Park Lake, then a four-lap 21.3km hilly and technical bike leg, followed by a 5km run that includes one tough hill.
There is a strong Canadian contingent at home, but Bermuda’s Flora Duffy will wear the No.1 in Edmonton. Duffy recorded her first ITU World Cup win in Huatulco this year, and has also posted a pair of top 10 finishes in the ITU World Triathlon Series in the past seventh months (San Diego and the Beijing Grand Final). Duffy is also London bound, and another podium is sure to give her a confidence boost ahead of her second Olympic appearance.
The home team will be led by rising star Sarah-Anne Brault and the experienced Lauren Campbell. Brault claimed her first World Cup podium in Ishigaki earlier this year, as well as claiming the 2012 PATCO Pan American Championships title, while Campbell is a regular top 10 WTS series finisher. They will be joined by a host of young Canadians looking for their first World Cup podiums, including Ellen Pennock who won last year’s PATCO Junior race in Edmonton and makes her World Cup debut this weekend, Allison Hooper, Manon LeTourneau, Alexandra Coates and hometown favorite Chantell Widney. Others to watch for include Lindsey Jerdonek (USA) and Eri Kawashima (JPN).
It will be the first time in the last five races that an Australian women will not win Edmonton, after Loretta Harrop won in 2004, Emma Snowsill took the title in 2005 and 2006, Emma Moffatt won in 2007 and Ashleigh Gentle in 2011. This year no Australian women are on the start list.
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