Three Elite Triathletes To Compete In Edmonton
In what can be seen as a testament to how deep the triathlon talent is on the island, Bermuda will have three elite triathletes in action in Edmonton this weekend, with Tyler Smith and Erica Hawley set compete in the U23 World Triathlon Championship, while Flora Duffy will be competing in the Elite women’s race.
With just over 110 spots in these elite races — the U23 men and women and Elite women — Bermuda is fielding around 3.5% of the total competitors, an impressive figure for a small island.
The event website said, “After a one-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic, the best young talents in triathlon will take to the streets of Edmonton this Saturday to vie for the U23 World Triathlon Championship titles. And considering that most of the 2019 medallists have now moved to the Elite category, it is time to find the new stars that are set to take the future of the World Triathlon Championship Series by storm.
“The athletes take the stage on Saturday over a course that will be slightly different to that of the Elites, albeit still over the Olympic distance. A beach start will get them underway for a 2-lap, 1500m swim in Hawrelak Park lake before taking their bikes for six laps of 6.67km each on a hilly and rather technical course.
“The race will be decided over the final 10km run, four laps around the lake, to finish in style down the Hawrelak Park finish chute that may not be lined with fans this year, but will undoubtedly have all the emotions and vibes that come with a World Championship Finals.
“The U23 women will be the first to take the stage at 8am local time, with weather forecast of cool temperatures and likely a wetsuit swim, while the U23 Men will start their race at 16.30h by when it is expected to be a bit warmer.”
