Confermate le date delle Olimpiadi di Triathlon a Londra: la prova
olimpica femminile si disputerà il 4 agosto, a partire dalle ore 9.00 e
quella maschile il 7 agosto alle 11.30. Le gare si svilupperanno da Hyde
Park, con il nuoto nella 'Serpentine', per proseguire in un percorso
tracciato lungo le principali attrazioni cittadine - Buckingham Palace,
Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner e Constitution Hill - e ritorno in Hyde
Park, dove gli atleti termineranno la loro prova.
Quest'anno, il 6 e 7 agosto, saranno le date in cui sarà disputata la
tappa londinese di World Championship Series nello stesso percorso
olimpico.
Dal sito ITU:
"For the first time the triathlon competition at the Olympic Games will be
spread over more than two days. The women's race will be part of a Super
Saturday, on August 4, and the men's race will follow three days later on
Tuesday August 7.
In the previous three Olympics since the sport debuted in Sydney 2000, the
men's and women's medals have been on two consecutive days.
With no heats or preliminaries, the women's battle for the medals will
start at 9am while the men's will start slightly later at 11:30am on
Tuesday.
Hyde Park in Central London will host the main triathlon venue with the
swim to be contested in The Serpentine. The bike route will pass several
major London landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Wellington Arch, Hyde
Park Corner and Constitution Hill and back into Hyde Park, where the
athletes will finish on the run.
"We are extremely excited to showcase our sport in central London. Unlike
many other sports that set inside an arena, the city of London itself will
become the competition venue and serve as the backdrop for spectacular
triathlon action," said Marisol Casado, ITU President and IOC Member.
Ticket prices start at just 20 UK pounds but parts of the bike route
around Hyde Park will be free for spectators along the streets.
Applications for Olympic Games tickets will open on March 15 and close on
April 26, 2011 and are accepted through the official London website.
Non-residents of the UK or one of the designated European countries will
be required to apply for tickets via their National Olympic Committee
(NOC) starting March 15, 2011.
On August 6-7 of this year, athletes will race the Olympic course for the
final time before the Olympics in the London round of the Dextro Energy
Triathlon ITU World Championship Series. The event will serve as a key
Olympic qualifier for many National Federations".