WORLD’S BEST LONG DISTANCE TRIATHLETES GATHER IN SWEDEN FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Sater, Sweden: For immediate release: In the southern reaches of Dalarna, one of the most renowned and beautiful regions
of Sweden, 1,000
athletes from 30 countries around the world have gathered for the 2004
Sater ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships.
The picturesque and historic town of Sater clings
to the shoreline of Lake Ljustern, not a
work of man but of nature. When
tourists first discovered Sweden at the
end of the 19th century, they quickly turned the Säter Valley into one
of the most frequently visited spots.
In the women’s event, 8 of the top 10 from the 2003 Long Distance Triathlon
World Rankings are on the start list, including the defending World Champion
Virginia Berasategui of Spain and the bronze medalist Dogana Martina of Italy.
Other women to watch are Edith Nederfriniger
of Italy, Tina Boman
of Finland, Beth Thomson of Great Britain, and Lisbeth
Kristensen of Denmark – the 4th to
7th best 2003 World Ranked Long Distance Triathlete. Audrey Cleau of
France is another odds-on favourite after
her win at the 2003 Nice ITU Long Distance World Cup.
For the men, a strong field of 61 will toe the line, including
11 of the top 15 from the 2003 ITU Long Distance World Ranking. #2 World Ranked Torbjorn
Sindballe of Denmark will be one to watch – he was 2nd
the last time Sater hosted the World Championships
in 1999 and is very familiar with the course in Sater.Others
to watch are French team-mates Patrick Vernay,
the winner of the 2003 Nice ITU Long Distance World Cup, currently ranked
#3 in the world, and Xavier LeFloch who took the 3rd
step on the podium at the 2003 Ibiza ITU World Championships.
The Swedish midsummer magic will undoubtedly cast its spell on the long
distance triathlon event which will feature a new spectator-friendly course
with a 2 lap-4km swim followed by a 5 lap-130km cycle, then a 4 lap-30km
run.As well as the elite Long Distance World Championships,
Sater is also playing host to the age group
World Championships for 5 year age groups from 20 to over 80.
Action for the age group competition will get underway at 8:00 a.m. on
Saturday 3 July 2004, with the elite events the following starting at
9:00 a.m., 4 July 2004.
The ITU Media Team will be on site to cover the event live
on www.triathlon.org with the women’s and
men’s coverage starting at 8:30 a.m. local time.
Please contact ITU Media at ituhdq@triathlon.org for more information. |