Exciting Jamaica Triathlon ahead

Western Bureau:

While the defending champions, the French duo of Nicholas Becker and Elisabeth Mondon, will not be around to defend their respective titles, the 2011 Jamaica Triathlon, which will be staged in Montego Bay tomorrow morning, should nonetheless be full of excitement.

"Because of changes to the triathlon schedule, the defending male and female champions will not be here this year," said Rayne Russell of Entertain Jamaica, the organisers of the annual event. "However, with quality competitors like Ben Greenfield of the United States; and Jamaica's own Patrick Lee, the excitement should be no less."

The triathlon, which is the stellar attraction on the calendar of the one-week Jamaica Triathlon & Multi-Sports Festival, will be staged on a new Olympic distance course at the picturesque Iberostar Resort in Rose Hall. Rated among the top 100 triathlons in the world, it will feature a 1500m swim, a 40k bike ride and a 10k run.

In addition to Greenfield, who has been making quite a significant impact on the international circuit this year, the male side of the triathlon should be quite dazzling, with the likes of the Egyptian Omar Nour, who was second last year; and Lee, who was the first Jamaican across the finish line.

On the female side, in the absence of Mondon, the battle for supremacy could become the sole prerogative of the gifted American Alyssa Morrison, who posed quite a significant challenge in taking second place last year.

While the triathlon is the main attraction, other events such as a Corporate Jamaica 5k Run/Walk Challenge, the Fontana Pharmacy Kids' Triathlon, the Duathlon for those participants who do not wish to swim; and a Sprint Distance - 750m swim, 25k bike ride and a 5.8k run - should also command much attention.

Major attraction

The Ocean Spray WATA School Challenge Workshop, which will be staged today, is also considered a major attraction. It will feature more than 400 long-distance running, swimming, and cycling athletes from more than 50 local high schools across the island.

The list of speakers for the workshop includes Olympian Denis Johnson; Iona Wynter, who represented Jamaica at the Olympic Games in Triathlon and Cycling Christian Tavares-Finson, president of the Jamaica Cycling Federation (JCF); Jackie Walter, the national swimming coach; and Greenfield, a top fitness, nutrition and metabolism expert.

The event is endorsed by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, the Ministry of Tourism, the Jamaica Tourist Board, the Jamaica Athletics Administration Association, the Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica, and the Jamaica Cycling Federation.