Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee is relishing the chance to get to grips with the Rio 2016 course at this weekend’s test event on Copacabana Beach.
Brownlee is one of ten British athletes in action in Brazil this weekend, although his brother Jonathan misses out due to a stress fracture.
As well as getting the chance to check out the course for next year’s Olympics, aspring 2016 Olympians get the chance to edge closer to selection with a podium finish in Rio and at next month’s ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Chicago meeting the preselection criteria.
A final opportunity for possible selection will be at one of the early season rounds of the ITU World Triathlon Series next year.
Although Brownlee will be keen to lay down a marker early, and hopes the Rio bike course will offer the opportunity to force a hard pace on Sunday.
“I’m looking forward to racing and to seeing the set up, particularly the bike course, and what the conditions are like,” he said.
“It’s just about a year to go until the Olympic Games and it really focuses the mind that we’re going to be racing in Rio this weekend.”
Britain’s women will be the first to experience the course on Sunday morning, starting with a potential rough 1500m sea swim before a hilly 40km bike course a flat 10km run.
Vicky Holland is the highest ranked British female in the ITU World Triathlon Series, and is joined by former world champion Non Stanford, Jodie Stimpson, Helen Jenkins and India Lee.
While in the men’s race, Brownlee is joined by Tom Bishop, Adam Bowden, Mark Buckingham and Aaron Harris.
© Sportsbeat 2015