The penultimate round of the ITU World Triathlon Series is hosted in Stockholm, Sweden this weekend, with athletes looking to position themselves on the points table ahead of the London Grand Final next month, and get a valuable tune up over the standard distance of 1500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run.
New Zealand will have 5 athletes on the start line, with Ryan Sissons (world ranking 9, Auckland), Tony Dodds (29, Wanaka), Martin van Barneveld (68, Wellington) in the elite men's race and Kate Andrea Hewitt (5, Christchurch) and Kate McIlroy (11, Wellington) in the elite women's field.
Tri NZ National Coach Greg Fraine says Stockholm is a good opportunity to test the athletes in the build up to the London Grand Final, a race that will also double as a Commonwealth Games qualifying race for the New Zealanders.
"There is one goal; that is to sharpen up for London. After the team world champs we have gone back into a building phase, working on strength and speed for London. We want them all to be in the front pack in the swim and the bike and then test themselves on the run and find out where they are at. They are all at different stages, there are a few niggling injuries and they all have their own goals for the race, but the focus is on doing everything correct, this is not a race that we have flagged as being about 'results'."
Fraine describes the course as being unique, presenting different challenges to others raced on throughout the season.
"The course is standard in distance but it is a very unique course in other ways in downtown Stockholm with large cobblestone sections, very technical on the bike and the run with a small hill and a lot of cobbles which really test the skill and strength of the athletes and the strength, the cobbles are very different to the roads they are used to riding on."
Wanaka's Tony Dodds has tweaked his training routine in the lead up to the final two races of the season.
"I am better coming into this than I have been throughout most of the year, training is going reasonably well, we have changed a few things up, some of what we were doing didn't work going into Hamburg, we have gone back to a more aerobic training and had some big weeks. I am a little tired but I am exactly where I should be. This time last year I was on my way home with a burst appendix, so this year is a bit of an improvement, I am feeling fresh enough and looking forward to racing this weekend."
Dodds is staying committed to his goal of peaking twice this season, with London now on the radar.
"I knew the middle of the season would be tough. The two peak races for me were Auckland and London, I have ticked one off and there is one more to go. I could have looked for more consistency through the middle of the year and pick up points but with the Commonwealth Games trial in London, I want to smash that. Ours is a long season when you consider the New Zealand domestic season, we are going from December through to October, it's hard but we have to do it."
And as for this weekend?
"I know it is going to be a hard course with the cobbles and hills but everyone is in the same boat, I think it is going to hurt from the get-go so I am looking forward to it. It is a practice race in a way for London, looking to get the little things right, work on them afterwards to improve for London. At the same time that should look after a good result."
Wellington's Kate McIlroy is still buzzing from the silver medal at the Team World Champs in Hamburg.
"It was amazing to be a part of that event, we knew we had a good result in us and to come away with a silver medal gave us a lift. It has created some momentum and given us a boost to keep this last block of training together and perform well this weekend.
"This is the first standard distance race we have had in a while, this is the last chance before London. Every time I am on the start line I want to do well but I haven't tapered fully for this but it is a tough strength course which I like, a lot of cobbles on the bike and a short sharp hill which tested a lot of the girls last year. I want a strong swim bike and then run strongly, it is definitely part of my build up for London but I am also looking to get inside the top ten rankings, I am 11th at the moment so that is a goal too."
