MEDIA
RELEASE May 16, 2002
WORLD'S
BEST TRIATHLETES HEAD TO ITU ISHIGAKI WORLD CUP -
JAPAN, MAY 19, 2002
Ishigaki,
Japan, will host the world's best triathletes including
Olympic champion, Brigitte McMahon (SUI), world champions
Peter Robertson (AUS) and Siri Lindley (USA) and world
number 1, Barbara Lindquist (USA) when the third stop
on the 2002 ITU World Cup Series takes place on Sunday,
May 19, 2002.
The
beautiful island of Ishigaki, Japan, one of the Yaeyama
Islands is situated in the south of Japan approximately
2000km from Tokyo and 200km from Taiwan in the Okinawa
region of Japan.
Racing
in the men's division will be intense with a field
of 45 including all three medallists from 2001 ITU
World Championship, and former World Champion, Miles
Stewart (AUS). Other strong contenders for the title
this weekend will be last year's winner Ivan Rana
(ESP), 2000 Ishigaki winner Courtney Atkinson, Americans
Hunter Kemper and Joe Umphenour, and Japanese competitors
Hiroyuki Nishiuchi and Takumi Obara.
Along
with the world's best men, Japan will host a stellar
field of women, including World Champion Siri Lindley
(USA), current world ranked number 1, Barb Lindquist
(USA) and the ITU 2002 Geelong World Cup and 2001
Ishigaki World Cup winner, Loretta Harrop (AUS).
With
vital ITU points being awarded, World Cup racing gets
underway at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday with the women, and
will be followed by the men at 3:45 p.m.
Triathletes
compete over the Olympic distance - with a 1.5km swim,
40km cycle and 10km run course. Racing starts with
a swim on a two lap rectangular course from a pontoon
in Tonoshiro Fishing Port; and will be followed by
a 6 lap, 40 km cycle course through Ishigaki town
center and featuring the Southengata bridge. Athletes
will then finish with a flat technical 10 km run,
consisting of 3 laps of a town center route. It is
expected that the streets will be lined with thousands
of enthusiastic spectators.
The
ITU website: www.triathlon.org will feature live coverage
including a leader board, live video, text updates
and still photos starting with the warm-up of the
women's event at 12:30 p.m. local time.
See
start list attached, and for further information,
please contact ITU Headquarters at ituhdq@triathlon.org
