At the weekend, the World Triathlon Championship Series with the Super Sprint World Championships will be in Hamburg. Some hope the distance will be Olympic. After the fatal accident at the Ironman in early June, the organizers also have safety in mind.
“Of course there is always learning,” said Martin Engelhardt, President of the German Triathlon Union (DTU), on Wednesday in the Hanseatic city. But the DTU races are designed differently than the Ironman: It has always been a circuit, there are no turning points and there are fewer motorcyclists anyway. “We have completely different conditions and I am sure that such an incident will not happen here.”
Home advantage for Lindemann & Co.
Germany’s best triathletes want to benefit from home advantage. “Hamburg has always been a good place for me,” said Laura Lindemann, who remained vague about the goal, not only because of the new format (“It’s hard to expect something there”). The 27-year-old from Potsdam, who ran the format in Montreal in 2021 (and finished sixth), had decided not to start at the German championships last weekend due to a gastrointestinal upset. But she has been back in training since Monday.
In addition to Lindemann, who is starting in Hamburg for the eighth time, the DTU squad also includes Lisa Tertsch, Lena Meißner, Annika Koch, Marlene Gomez-Göggel, Anabel Knoll and Selina Klamt. For the men’s competition, the association nominated Lasse Lührs, Lasse Priester, Tim Hellwig, Jonas Schomburg, Johannes Vogel, Valentin Wernz and Simon Henseleit.
New mode, different physical strain
The super sprint, which consists of swimming 300 meters, cycling 7.5 kilometers and running 1.6 kilometers, requires a different tactical approach and represents a different physical strain for everyone.
“I’m very excited. This is completely new territory. But in the end it’s still triathlon: swimming, cycling and running.”
There are three races in the final, with the ten slowest participants eliminated after the first and second run. That requires a completely different tactic, Lührs explained: If you’re at the front of a group of five, for example, with a little distance behind, it’s no use exhausting yourself and sprinting to rank. On the contrary: “I’d rather slow down a bit and maybe only finish sixth – that doesn’t make any difference.”
Schedule for the triathlon world championships
Thursday, July 13:
5 p.m.: World Championship individual race juniors (0.75 km swimming / 20 km cycling / 5 km running)
7 p.m.: World Championship individual race juniors (0.75 / 20 / 5)
Friday, July 14:
8 a.m.: Qualification elite women and men (0.3 / 7.5 / 1.6)
12 p.m.: Age Groups – Sprint World Championships (0.5 / 20 /5)
7 p.m.: Repechage elite women and men (0.3 / 7.5 / 1.6)
Saturday, July 15:
7.30 a.m.: Open Race – Men/Women Sprint Distance (0.5 / 20 / 5)
1 p.m.: Mixed Relay U23/Juniors (0.3 / 7.0 / 1.6 per athlete)
4.20 p.m .: Final rounds elite women and men (0.3 / 7.5 / 1.6)
Sunday, July 16:
6.30am: Open Race – Men/Women Olympic Distance (1.5/40/10)
2:15 p.m.: Mixed Relay Elite (0.3 / 7.0 / 1.6 per athlete)
A format for the Olympics too?
Many athletes hope that the new format will be part of the Olympic program in the near future. The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, is also expected as a guest in the Hanseatic city. “It’s fun as an athlete and is also attractive for the spectators,” said Lührs, “it would be cool if triathlon with three medal opportunities became a big player at the Olympics.”
Junior World Championships already on Thursday
In addition to the elite, the juniors and age groupers will fight for World Championship medals on Thursday, albeit in the sprint (swimming up to 750 meters, cycling up to 20 kilometers, running up to 5 kilometers). The World Championship titles in the Olympic mixed relay will also be awarded on Sunday.
Together with the registered amateurs, more than ten thousand participants are expected in the Hanseatic city on the four days of competition.
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Hamburg Journal | 07/12/2023 | 19:30 o’clock