After eight line-to-line battles from Oceania to North America to Europe to Asia and back to Oceania, it all comes down to this – one leg-crushing, gut-wrenching, tenacity-testing scenic race in oceanside Auckland.
Taking home the world title in the elite women’s race will be no easy feat for Flora Duffy and the rest of the Feld with the combination of this stellar line-up, killer course, and incredibly close leader board.
Athletes start the day in plain sight of the crowds for a two-lap 1.5km swim by Queens Wharf before hitting the road for a bike sure to blast the thighs. The women will be met with a gradual climb, followed by a sharp peak that they must repeat eight times over. Those left standing will finish up with a four-lap 10km run downtown. It’s a course for the all-around triathlete willing to push it to the limit.
The brutal Bike course could benefit several of the sport’s top riders including Kiwis Nicky Samuels and Kate McIlroy, Jessica Harrison, Duffy and Jodie Stimpson.
Although the race to be the 2012 ITU World Champion looks like a two-woman show, there is just enough wiggle room in the ITU World Triathlon Series leader board to be left guessing until the end. The current positions are reminiscent of the 2012 Olympic Games with the top three spots all belonging to Olympic medalists.
Bronze medalist Erin Densham leads the charts at 3611 points, followed by silver medalist Lisa Norden with 3581, then Olympic champ Nicola Spirig with 3264. However, Spirig won’t race in Auckland, leaving Densham and Norden in the driver’s seat for the world title. Not only are both Olympic medalists, Densham and Norden are also past Under23 World Champions and both are bidding to become the first woman to win Under23 and elite world titles.
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