In its fifth year on the World Triathlon Series calendar, Hamburg will again serve up double the dose of action with fast and furious sprint elite races on Saturday followed by the Mixed Relay World Championships on Sunday.
Add on that it's the world's biggest triathlon dropped in the middle of downtown Hamburg and it's a recipe for one mega multisport weekend.
 Gwen Jorgensen in Kitzbuehel in 2012(Photo: Janos Schmidt / ITU; click to enlarge) |
Simply sizzling through the season so far with three consecutive WTS wins, Gwen Jorgensen (USA) can go short or long so far as there's a run on the end of a race. How to beat her? Just be really, really far ahead of her off the bike. Really far.
After being forced to sit out WTS Chicago due to injury, Sarah Groff (USA) is back for Hamburg. She has stood on the podium twice in Hamburg - once as a part of the bronze medal winning Mixed Relay World Championship team last year and also when she finished third in the women's race in 2012. After a rocky 2013 season, her breakthrough in the sprint race in London should spur Groff to charge for another podium.
While Helen Jenkins represented the Brits solo a week ago in Chicago, she'll be back in action with compatriot Jodie Stimpson by her side to line up as Jorgensen's biggest threats. Fresh from a month free of racing, Stimpson has the added advantage of a solid training block under her belt.
Although Jenkins lacked that extra gear on the sprint course in London, her composure in all three disciplines can't be discounted. But with berths to the Commonwealth Games looming at the end of the month both Brits, it remains to be seen where their focus will land in Hamburg.
Anne Haug stole the hearts of her fellow Germans last year when she became the first athlete from her country to win the Hamburg race with a phenomenal finish. But Haug has struggled to perform so far this season, suggesting a repeat may not be in her future. Of course, if she gets out with the leaders on the swim, don't count this haus of a cyclist out.
 Anne Haug winning in Hamburg last year(Photo: Janos Schmidt / ITU; click to enlarge) |
The women's podium has been full of surprises this year with the likes of Ai Ueda (JPN), Juri Ide (JPN), Agnieszka Jerzyk (POL) and Emma Jackson (AUS) all making the top three. We've also seen some impressive cycling from athletes such as Emma Moffatt (AUS), Charlotte McShane (AUS), Kirsten Sweetland (CAN), and Pamela Oliveira (BRA), with Moffatt having the added bonus of having made the podium in every single WTS Hamburg race with the exception of last year.
All of these ladies, in addition to veterans Andrea Hewitt (NZL) and Lisa Norden (SWE), are back again this weekend making for one promising showdown. One of the most exciting perhaps is the addition of Olympic bronze medallist Erin Densham (AUS) to the lineup. Densham hasn't raced a WTS event since the 2012 Grand Final, making her return a highly anticipated one.
Follow all the events live with timing and text updates, at triathlon.org/live and on twitter at @triathlonlive. Don't forget to pick who you think will be on the men's and women's podiums with TRIFECTA.
