Yokohama last chance saloon ahead of World Champs finale

The pressure will be on a number of the world’s leading triathletes at the penultimate round of the ITU Dextro Energy Triathlon World Championship Series in Yokohama this weekend, among them the leading New Zealanders.

With World Champions being decided on overall Series points this year, it is vital that the athletes head into the season ending Gold Coast event next month within striking distance of the leaders.

Best placed of the Kiwis on current rankings is Andrea Hewitt, her consistency and dramatic win in Madrid in late May has the Cantabrian in third overall behind Emma Moffatt (AUS) and Lisa Norden (SWE).

Hewitt has been in Japan for most of the week to prepare for Saturday’s showdown but is wary of the stress that consecutive races can bring.

“I am racing in Yokohama to give myself the best chance for a World Championship medal with only one race remaining on the Gold Coast. I had a great swim and bike in London last weekend, but this weekend I will be concentrating on being great in all three disciplines.

“Racing back to back weekends will be a challenge for my legs but I hope that my last month of training up at altitude in the French Pyrenees will give me the feeling of more oxygen since I have been training with less. I felt much easier during the swim in London having come straight down from 2000 metres but it is 30deg and humid here; I am expecting a very hard race!”

Auckland’s Debbie Tanner is racing in Yokohama with a little more pressure after a season that by her own standards has been a little below par, leaving her in 16th position on the world rankings. This signs though are good after a strong showing in London.

“I was pleased with my race in London, I had spent the previous two weeks with my coach Peter Pfitzinger in Font Romeu and we worked really hard to get everything right while we where there. Timing is really a big thing for us and leading into Japan and Gold Coast we think it is finally coming together.

“It was the first time all season that I really felt like I had my form back so was very happy with this and it is a real positive leading into the next two races with of course the Gold Coast being the big one.

“Yokohama is only one week later and in a completely different time zone so it is going to be really hard to back up the races, but am confident if I look after myself and do all the small things right it should be okay. It is going to be a hot and humid race which I quite enjoy so I’m hoping to gain some valuable points here that will help my overall world ranking.”

Switzerland's Nicola Spirig will go into the women's race as the hot favourite following her win in London as she continues her late season charge. Her compatriot and fellow biking powerhouse Daniela Ryf is also one to watch out for as the under 23 world champion continues a good run of form, including bronze medals in both Washington DC and Hamburg.

Sweden's Lisa Norden goes in search of her first win of the year following second places in Madrid, Hamburg and London. Other contenders include home favourite Juri Ide, North Americans Sarah Haskins (USA) and Kirsten Sweetland (CAN).