The Canadian crowd erupted as home favourite Simon Whitfield was first to emerge from the water. But the lead was slim as many top contenders were nipping at his heels including his own teammate Paul Tichelaar, pre-race favourite Gomez and reigning European champion Frederic Belaubre of France.

Close to 50 men cycled in the lead group for most of the 40 kilometers. In that group were several of the major players including Whitfield, Gomez, Belaubre, Matt Reed of the U.S., Hug and Docherty. The first chase pack was down by almost a minute midway through the bike but continued to lose time. When they rode into transition, the chase was down by almost two full minutes. The situation was grimmer for the second chase group who was more than five minutes behind the leaders.

As the men hit the streets of Vancouver, the world championship was still very much up for grabs. After the first of three laps, the class of the field began to emerge. It was on the second lap the Spaniard began to challenge the field with a punishing run pace. Gomez opened up a 15-second lead on Docherty and Hug. Whitifield couldn't keep up and fell back into the pack. From there it was smooth sailing for Gomez as he cruised to the finish line savouring his first elite world title. He becomes the first athlete in ITU history to hold both elite and under23 world championships.

Docherty proved once again he's a clutch performer by taking the silver. Hug, a silver medalist from 2005, held on for the bronze while South African Hendrik DeVilliers came across for fourth place. In another thrilling sprint finish, Reed edged out Whitfield for fifth place.

2008 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships
Elite Men - Official Results
1.5km swim, 40km swim, 10km run
Gold - Javier Gomez (ESP) 1:49:48
Silver - Bevan Docherty (NZL) 1:50:12
Bronze - Reto Hug (SUI) 1:50:17
4th - Hendrik de Villiers (RSA) 1:50:18
5th - Matthew Reed (USA) 1:50:27
6th - Simon Whitfield (CAN) 1:50:27
7th - Igor Sysoev (RUS) 1:50:28
8th - Tony Moulai (FRA) 1:50:31
9th - Paul Tichelaar (CAN) 1:50:32
10th - Ivan Vasiliev (RUS) 1:50:34

Click here for official full field results

The elite races are standard Olympic distance: 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike, 10-kilometer run.

The Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships are the 20th in ITU's history. The event began on Thursday with Glasgow's Kirsty McWilliam winning the junior women's title and France's Vincent Luis being crowned the new junior men's world champion. Age-group races were heavily affected by adverse weather conditions as strong winds and choppy waters forced officials to cancel the swim portion of more than half of the age-group Olympic distance races. Next year's triathlon world championships will be held at Australia's Gold Coast from September 11-13, 2009.

Click here to log into ITU's Online Media Center for high-res photos, audio clips and more

Click here for TV Broadcast News details

The Americans and Brits dominated out of the water holding the first five positions including Haskins and Tucker, recent silver medalist at the Madrid world cup. Heavy pre-race favourite Fernandes exited the water in seventh place 14 seconds down.

Out onto the testing 40-kilometer bike course, six women made up the lead group including Fernandes. However, late in the first lap, Haskins and Tucker broke away and built a minute lead by the midway mark. On the fifth lap, the second chase group caught up to form one huge chase group of 34 women all in pursuit of the leaders Tucker and Haskins.

The bike portion was similar to last year with Haskins in a two-woman breakaway. Eventually she was reeled in late in the run by Warriner but she managed to hang on for the silver. This year, Haskins and Tucker continued to hammer it on the bike, increasing the lead to 1:40 after the sixth of eight laps, and then to 2:02 with one lap to go.

Haskins was first out of T2 with Tucker just five seconds back. A full two minutes later is when the next woman, Emma Moffatt, headed out on the flat 10-kilometer run course. Behind Moffatt was a number of strong runners including Warriner, Lisa Norden, Tanner, and Sweetland. Meanwhile Fernandes looked sluggish and was slow through transition to be one of the last in the group to get on the run course.

The two minutes was more than enough for Haskins and Tucker who ran side by side for nearly the entire ten kilometers until the final turn when Tucker powered ahead to become the second British woman to win an elite world championship. Haskins took the silver for her first ever world championship medal. Up against strong sprinters Moffatt and Densham, it was the guts of Warriner that proved to be the difference as she nipped Densham at the line in a photo finish. It was Warriner's first ever world championship medal. The Aussies went 4-5-6 with Felicity Abram coming across the line after Moffatt.

2008 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships
Elite Women - Unofficial Results
1.5km swim, 40km swim, 10km run
Gold - Helen Tucker (GBR) 2:01:37
Silver - Sarah Haskins (USA) 2:01:41
Bronze - Samantha Warriner (NZL) 2:02:32.85
4th - Erin Densham (AUS) 2:02:32.96
5th - Emma Moffatt (AUS) 2:02:34
6th - Felicity Abram (AUS) 2:03:35
7th - Sarah Groff (USA) 2:04:09
8th - Kate Allen (AUT) 2:04:14
9th - Debbie Tanner (NZL) 2:04:24
10th - Vanessa Fernandes (POR) 2:04:35

Official full field results will be available here

The elite races are standard Olympic distance: 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike, 10-kilometer run.

The Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships are the 20th in ITU's history. The event began on Thursday with Glasgow's Kirsty McWilliam winning the junior women's title and France's Vincent Luis being crowned the new junior men's world champion. Age-group races were heavily affected by adverse weather conditions as strong winds and choppy waters forced officials to cancel the swim portion of more than half of the age-group Olympic distance races. Next year's triathlon world championships will be held at Australia's Gold Coast from September 11-13, 2009.

Click here to log into ITU's Online Media Center for high-res photos, audio clips and more

Click here for TV Broadcast News details

Ryf becomes the first Swiss triathlon world champion since 2001 and adds the world title to an already impressive breakthrough season in which she has climbed to number three in the world after her first career world cup podium in Madrid two weeks ago. American Jasmine Oeinck took silver for the second straight year while South Africa's Mari Rabie made triathlon history. With the bronze, Rabie became the first athlete from Africa to ever win a triathlon world championship medal.

"It was a great race, I'm so happy. It was amazing but it was so hard. It was a really hard race," said Ryf at the finish line.

Leading the women out of the water was Rabie, the reigning African champion, following closely by Oeinck, Inna Tsyganok of the Ukraine and Ryf. In the first of eight laps on the 40-kilometer bike course, Ryf, Rabie and Oeinck surged to a 49-second lead after the first lap. After the 15 kilometers, the gap ballooned to 2:09, and then swelled to almost three minutes after the fifth lap. By the end of the bike, three chase packs came together in pursuit of the leaders.

Rabie was first onto the 10-kilometer run course with a slim 6-second lead on Ryf. Oeinck struggled in T2 and left transition 22 seconds back of Rabie. But Ryf immediately took command and opened a 23-second lead and cruised to the finish line to win by a convincing 31-second margin of victory. Rabie was feeling pressure from Olesya Prystayko of the Ukraine but the South African managed to hang on for the final spot on the podium. In all it was a tough day for the women's field as only 19 women finished the race. At the start of the race the water temperature was a frosty 11.2 degrees Celsius with the air temperature at 10 degrees.

2008 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships
Under23 Women - Official Results
1.5km swim, 40km swim, 10km run
Gold - Daniela Ryf (SUI) 2:09:30
Silver - Jasmine Oeinck (USA) 2:10:02
Bronze - Mari Rabie (RSA) 2:11:35
4th - Olesya Prystayko (UKR) 2:12:51
5th - Barbara Riveros Diaz (CHI) 2:13:02
6th - Justine Whipple (USA) 2:13:08
7th - Yuliya Sapunova (UKR) 2:13:32
8th - Renata Koch (HUN) 2:13:55
9th - Sarah Fladung (GER) 2:14:25
10th - Kerry Spearing (CAN) 2:14:57

Click here for official full field results

Three days after he watched his brother take bronze in the junior race, Alistair Brownlee today was crowned under23 men's world champion. The Brownlees are the first brothers in ITU history to medal at the same world championships. Brownlee also becomes just the second triathlete in ITU history to win both junior and under23 world titles. Last year's under23 world champion Gregor Buchholz of Germany showed off his strong finishing kick to edge out New Zealand's Martin Van Barneveld for the silver.

"I'm absolutely delighted, it's brilliant to be world champion again," said Brownlee, who won the junior world championships in Lausanne in 2006.

Last year's junior world champion Aurelien Raphael of France was first out of the water but was followed by Brownlee and Russian Alexander Brukhankov among others. After the first of eight laps on the 40-kilometer bike course, the lead pack contained 25 men, all riding within six seconds of each other. Defending champion Gregor Buchholz of Germany was in the first chase pack, about 20 seconds behind.

German Nils Frommhold was first onto the 10-kilometer run course but he was quickly reeled in by the stronger runner Brownlee. Brukhankov trailed by 11 seconds while another four, including Buchholz, were a further six seconds back.

As he took the bell lap, Brownlee distanced himself even further as he owned a 26-second lead. Brukhankov fell off the pace, fading to fifth place while being passed by New Zealand's Martin Van Barneveld and Buchholz, who was putting up a strong fight in defence of his title. But amidst difficult conditions, it was Brownlee who rose to the challenge, coasting to the finish line carrying the Yorkshire flag of his home county.

Just like last year, Bucholz won the sprint down the final stretch to get on the podium for the second straight year. Van Barneveld becomes the first New Zealand man to win an under23 world championship medal.

2008 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships
Under23 Men - Unofficial Results
1.5km swim, 40km swim, 10km run
Gold - Alistair Brownlee (GBR) 1:54:38
Silver - Gregor Buchholz (GER) 1:54:57
Bronze - Martin Van Barneveld (NZL) 1:54:59
4th - Todd Leckie (GBR) 1:55:13
5th - Alexander Brukhankov (RUS) 1:55:37
6th - Lukas Salvisberg (SUI) 1:55:46
7th - Nils Frommhold (GER) 1:55:57
8th - Alberto Casadei (ITA) 1:55:59
9th - Joshua Maeder (AUS) 1:56:09
10th - Tony Dodds (NZL) 1:56:10.63

Official full field results will be available here

The under23 race is standard Olympic distance: 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike, 10-kilometer run. The under23 category was first introduced in 2002 and was designed to assist juniors transition to the elite level.

The Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships are the 20th in ITU's history. The event began on Thursday with Glasgow's Kirsty McWilliam winning the junior women's title and France's Vincent Luis being crowned the new junior men's world champion. Age-group races were heavily affected by adverse weather conditions as strong winds and choppy waters forced officials to cancel the swim portion of more than half of the age-group Olympic distance races. Next year's triathlon world championships will be held at Australia's Gold Coast from September 11-13, 2009.

Click here to log into ITU's Online Media Center for high-res photos, audio clips and more

Click here for TV Broadcast News details

Vancouver, Canada (June 7, 2008) - - The 20th triathlon world championships will go Sunday at Vancouver's English Bay. The under23 women open the final race day of the BG Triathlon World Championships as they start at 7am and the under23 men follow at 10am. The under23 category was designed to assist juniors transition to the elite ranks better. It was first introduced at the 2002 world championships and has been an early indicator for elite success as past champions include Javier Gomez (ESP), Andrea Hewitt (NZL) and Brad Kahlefeldt (AUS).

Under23 Women - Ones to Watch
Daniela Ryf (SUI) - current world #3
Jasmine Oeinck (USA) - 2007 under23 world championships silver medalist
Mari Rabie (RSA) - 2008 African champion
Flora Duffy (BER) - 2006 junior world championships silver medalist
Click here for complete under23 women start list

Under23 Men - Ones to Watch
Alistair Brownlee (GBR) - 2006 junior world champion
Alexander Brukhankov (RUS) - 3 career world cup medals
Aurйlien Raphael (FRA) - 2007 junior world champion
Gregor Buchholz (GER) - 2007 under23 world champion
Click here for complete under23 men start list

For the elite women and men, this is the final ITU event with Olympic qualifying points at stake. Portugal's Vanessa Fernandes defends her world championship against a tough women's field that includes strong contingents from New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Canada. Athletes will vie for precious Olympic points, a $250,000 total prize purse and the coveted title of world champion.

Elite Women - Ones to Watch
Vanessa Fernandes (POR) - 2007 world champion, all-time world cup wins leader (20)
Samantha Warriner (NZL) - 6 world cup wins including Vancouver 2007
Laura Bennett (USA) - 4-time world championships medalist
Emma Moffatt (AUS) - 2007 overall world cup series runner-up
Kirsten Sweetland (CAN) - 2006 junior world champion
Click here for complete elite women start list

Elite Men - Ones to Watch
Javier Gomez (ESP) - 2007 world championships silver medalist, 10 world cups wins
Bevan Docherty (NZL) - 2004 world champion, 2004 Olympics silver medalist
Simon Whitfield (CAN) - 2000 Olympic gold medalist, 11 world cup wins
Greg Bennett (AUS) - 2002 & 2003 overall world cup series
Frederic Belaubre (FRA) - 3-time European champion
Click here for complete elite men start list

The race will be standard Olympic distance: 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike, 10-kilometer run. Live video and timing will be available online at triathlon.org.

Click here to launch live coverage

Start Times:
Under23 Women - 7:00am on Sunday June 8 (Pacific Daylight Time; UTC/GMT -7)
Under23 Men - 10:00am on Sunday June 8 (Pacific Daylight Time; UTC/GMT -7)
Click here for start times in your area

Elite Women - 1:00pm on Sunday June 8 (Pacific Daylight Time; UTC/GMT -7)
Elite Men - 4:00pm on Sunday June 8 (Pacific Daylight Time; UTC/GMT -7)
Click here for start times in your area

Click here to log into ITU's Online Media Center
Click here for TV Broadcast News details

Vancouver, Canada (June 7, 2008) - Close to 2000 age-group athletes began Saturday expecting to tackle a tough 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike and 10-kilometer run at the 2008 age-group world championships. But even before the first wave started, race officials shortened the swim to 1100 meters as the water temperature was measured at a cool 12.5 degrees Celsius.

First up were the Corporate Challenge teams who started bright at early at 6:30am. A number of local companies entered athletes in the individual and team relays events. Once the corporate teams were off, the men’s and women’s athletes with a disability (AWAD) took to the course.

The first age-group Olympic distance wave was the 18-19 women and 20-24 women who raced into the chilly waters of English Bay. A few more age categories were started before the winds picked up, creating extremely choppy conditions. Race organizers, technical delegates for the event, and in consultation with the event medical director, made the decision to cancel the swim portion for the remaining waves. The safety of the athletes is paramount and race officials were not willing to compromise the health and well-being of the athletes.

The final age-group wave to enter the water was the 45-49 women and 50-54 women. Every wave after that was turned into a duathlon consisting of a 3-kilometer run, 40-kilometer bike and 10-kilometer run. The affected waves were all women over 55 and all men.

In all, 672 athletes entered the water while the remaining 1030 completed the Duathlon. As of now, there are no announced changes to tomorrow’s under23 and elite races. If there are any changes to the race distance, they will be race day decisions. As this is a world championship and the final event with Olympic qualifying points at stake, organizers will endeavour to keep the elite race unchanged. However, the safety of the athletes is critical and will not be undermined. Cold weather has been the story of the event since racing began on Thursday morning. A number of hypothermia cases were reported yesterday and extra medical facilities were put in place yesterday in anticipation for this weekend’s race.

Click here for unofficial results
http://static.sportresult.com/sports/triathlon/

Click here for photo gallery
http://www.triathlon.org/zpg/zimgs-slide.php?tp=prog&id=2926&xback=1&title=Large+picture

Vancouver, Canada (June 7, 2008) - The swim portion for half of today's triathlon age-group world championships has been cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. High winds created extremely choppy waters which jeopardized the athletes' safety. World championship technical delegates, race directors, in consultation with the race medical director made the decision after the women's 45-49 and 50-54 age-group categories started. In all, 672 athletes entered the water while the remaining 1030 will complete a duathlon, consisting of a 3-kilometer run, 40-kilometer bike and finish with a 10-kilometer run. The effected athletes are women 55+ and all men's age-groups; all athletes scheduled after 8:10am. This is the first time in ITU history the swim portion has been cancelled at the world championships. The swim portion had already been shortened to 1100 meters from 1500 meters due to cold water temperature measured at 12.5 degrees this morning.

As of now, there are no announced changes to tomorrow's under23 and elite races. If there are any changes to the race distance, they will be race day decisions. As this is a world championship and the final event with Olympic qualifying points at stake, organizers will endeavour to keep the elite race unchanged. However, the safety of the athletes is critical and will not be undermined. Cold weather has been the story of the event since racing began on Thursday morning. A number of hypothermia cases were reported yesterday and extra medical facilities were put in place yesterday in anticipation for this weekend's race.

The Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships are the 20th in ITU's history. Next year's event will be held at the Gold Coast of Australia.

Visit www.triathlonvancouver.com for more information including event schedule, news, course maps and much more.

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For more information, contact:
Paula Kim or Marcie Arnold
Triathlon Vancouver Media
604-690-5673 or 604-780-3546
media@triathlonvancouver.com

Vancouver, Canada (June 6, 2008) - It was a cold and wet day on Canada’s west coast today as close to 600 age-group athletes brave the tough conditions at the 2008 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships.

The first wave ran into the chilly waters of English Bay in Vancouver at 6:30am. After a point-to-point swim over to Second Beach, athletes then rode through the city’s iconic Stanley Park. After the 5-kilometer run through the streets of Vancouver’s west end, the wet but elated athletes trickled across the finish line. Among today’s finishers was Loreen Barnett, executive director of the International Triathlon Union, who finished fourth in the women’s 60-64 age category. Barnett admitted she was tempted to quit early in the swim after the shock of the cold water. But she hung in there and finished strong, posting a 28-minute run split.

Click here for Age Group Sprint Distance Results
http://static.sportresult.com/sports/triathlon/

Click here for photos from today’s sprint distance world championships
http://www.triathlon.org/zpg/zimgs-slide.php?tp=prog&id=3180&xback=1&title=Large+picture

Vancouver, Canada (June 6, 2008) - Some of triathlon’s biggest stars came out to today’s official pre-race press conference for the 2008 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships. Defending world champion Vanessa Fernandes and Spain’s Javier Gomez, last year’s silver medalist, joined Canadians Simon Whitfield, Lauren Groves, Kathy Tremblay and Paul Tichelaar to talk about Sunday’s world championship race. The athletes not only spoke about what the event means to them but also how the cold temperatures will affect the outcome of the races.

“I’ve been racing in cold places all the time. I hope it’s a nice day but if it rains, it will be the same for everyone,” said Gomez. “I’m training and thinking for the Olympic Games but of course this is a world championship and I’m so motivated. I’ve never won this so I will try to give my best on Sunday and we’ll see what happens.”

“I think the big (opponent) for Sunday won’t be the athletes but the weather. I don’t like to compete in cold but I have to do everything for it to be good because it will equal for everyone so I have to do only my best and respect everything. I will try for another podium but it’s not easy to get another medal in another year but I will try,” said Fernandes, who this year set the ITU all-time record for most world cup wins.

Canadian hopes lie with the country’s golden boy, Simon Whitfield. The Olympic champion from 2000 has never won a world championship, nor a world championship medal. A win here on Sunday would make him the only triathlete to hold both world and Olympic gold medals but he knows it will not be an easy task.

“Of course this is a big race that I would love to win but there’s a list of guys that goes ten deep that could win this race and I think you’re going to see a fantastic and fast race on Sunday to claim that world title,” said Whitfield. “To be so close to home is definitely an advantage and I don’t know there’s much pressure involved with that.”

Whitfield has already qualified for the Canadian Olympic team and will be joined by Vancouver’s own Lauren Groves, the only woman on the team so far. As the only Vancouver native on the elite national team team, Groves is used to the unpredictable weather of the west coast.

“You can only focus on yourself and do your best and I think we’re all looking into different strategies to keep warm on the day if it is raining, like putting on extra layers, taking that extra two seconds to put gloves on,” said Groves. “We just have to be ready for a cold race and I think the mental approach is often more important or as important as what physically is going on.”

For other Canadians, this Sunday is a massive race as their 2008 Olympic dreams will be decided on what happens this weekend. Paul Tichelaar and Kathy Tremblay are both the highest ranked Canadians going into the race but they need top-8 finishes to earn automatic spots on the Canadian Olympic team.

“It’s my life’s work on the line this weekend,” said Tichelaar. “This is a big race for me, it’s the biggest race of my life, the biggest race of the year so there’s a lot on the time and I think I’ve prepared very well for it so I’m looking forward to it.”

“Like Paul said, this is also the race of my life,” said Tremblay. “This is almost more important as the Olympics because if you don’t make it here, you’re not going there. I’m more prepared this year than I was last year and I think I developed the training I needed to be prepared here and have all the confidence to meet the (Olympic) criteria. I think we also know it’s going to be cold temperatures so you just get ready for it. It’s Quebec temperature, it’s Canadian temperatures but I’m prepared.”

The elite women will start at 1pm on Sunday while the elite men start at 4pm.

Vancouver, Canada (June 6, 2008)

WHAT:
Official pre-race press conference for the 2008 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships

WHEN:
Friday June 6, 2008

TIME:
2:00pm (please arrive at 1:45pm to sign in and register if media have not already registered)

WHERE:
English Bay Venue Media Center (south side of Beach Ave, approximately 100 meters east of Denman street. There are two white tents. The media center is the tent closest to Denman street).

WHO:
Vanessa Fernandes (Portugal) - 2007 world champion, all-time world cup wins leader

Javier Gomez (Spain) - 2007 world championships silver medalist

Simon Whitfield (Victoria, BC) - 2000 Olympic Gold medalist, named to Olympic team

Lauren Groves (Vancouver, BC) - named to Olympic team

Paul Tichelaar (Edmonton, AB) - highest ranked Canadian man (number 6 in the world), Beijing hopeful

Kirsten Sweetland (Victoria, BC) - 2006 junior world champion, Beijing hopeful

Jim Miller - Chair of Triathlon Vancouver Organizing Committee

Chris Dornan - Haywood Securities

Media must have accreditation to attend the press conference. Non-accredited media must apply and register before 2pm.

The press conference will NOT be streamed online live. We apologize for any inconvenience. However, audio files will be available online in the post-press conference news release.

The Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships are presented by Haywood Securities Inc. and the Province of British Columbia. The event will take place on June 5-8 at English Bay and Stanley Park and will attract approximately 3,000 athletes from more than 60 countries. It will be the final Olympic qualifier for the Canadian Olympic team. The elite women's race will start at 1pm on Sunday while elite men start at 4pm.

See www.triathlonvancouver.com for more information including event schedule, news, course maps and much more.

-30-

For more information, contact:
Paula Kim or Marcie Arnold
Triathlon Vancouver Media
604-780-3546 or 604-690-5673
media@triathlonvancouver.com

Satellite Details below:
The 20th edition of the ITU Triathlon World Championships will be staged in Vancouver, Canada, home of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and also home to the headquarters of ITU. The Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships is the final event in ITU's 24-month Olympic qualifying period and the last chance for athletes to garner valuable Olympic points.

Selection for a number of Olympic teams including Japan, Portugal, Austria and Canada comes down to the world championships.

Canadian golden boy Simon Whitfield won last year's test event and looks to become the first triathlete to hold both Olympic and world championship gold. International contenders are lead by 2007 World # 1 Javier Gomez of Spain, Olympic silver medallist Bevan Docherty of New Zealand and Aussie Greg Bennett, winner of six world cup titles. His wife Laura Bennett, a member of Team USA, is one of the major headliners in the women's field. Defending champion Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal looks to become just the third woman to repeat as world champion. The news reel will include elite and U23 footage.

At a Glance:
Olympic Distance: 1.5km swim, 40km cycle, 10km run
Prize Money USD$250,000
Event page: http://www.triathlon.org/worldchamps.php

Distribution:
News highlights of the Elite and U23 races will be available via EBU, Reuters and SNTV.

* EBU / Eurovision
A world feed will be transmitted at 03:10 - 03:25 GMT on June 9. This material is free of rights and free of charge in Europe (W3A), the Americas (NSS806), and a US Domestic Satellite and in Asia (Asiasat2). The material will also be available on a US domestic satellite.

Distribution network: Asia

Timing: 0305-0325 UTC
ASIASAT 100.5 deg East TXP 11A CHANNEL 9MHZ G2
UPLINK FREQ.: 6329,5 MHZ POL X BY NICS CYCBC UP2
DOWNLINK FR.: 4104,5 MHZ POL Y
625 Pal 4/3 MPEG 4:2:2 66665 hsymb/s FEC 7/8
OP MODE: HIGH QUALITY
AUDIO:1 SOUND MONO
AUDIO:2 SOUND MONO
AUDIO:3 N/A
AUDIO:4 N/A

Europe

Timing: 0305-0325 UTC
EUTELSAT W3A 7 deg East TXP B1 CHANNEL 9MHZ D1
UPLINK FREQ.: 14314 MHZ POL Y BY GNVE ZZEBU UP2
DOWNLINK FR.: 11014 MHZ POL X
625 Pal 4/3 MPEG 4:2:2 66665 hsymb/s FEC 7/8
OP MODE: HIGH QUALITY
AUDIO:1 SOUND MONO
AUDIO:2 SOUND MONO
AUDIO:3 N/A
AUDIO:4 N/A

Americas +USDomsat

Timing: 0305-0325 UTC
GALAXY 26 - FORMERLY IA6 (TELSTAR6) 93 deg W TXP GALAXY 26 TXP K17
CHANNEL 9MHZ GALAXY 26 K17 SLOT A
UPLINK FREQ.: 14313 MHZ POL X
DOWNLINK FR.: 12013 MHZ POL Y
525 NTSC 4/3 MPEG 4:2:2 66665 hsymb/s FEC 7/8
OP MODE: HIGH QUALITY
AUDIO:1 SOUND MONO
AUDIO:2 SOUND MONO
AUDIO:3 N/A
AUDIO:4 N/A

Timing: 0305-0325 UTC
NSS806 319.5 degrees East TXP 28/28 CHANNEL 9MHZ A1
UPLINK FREQ.: 6386,5 MHZ POL R BY USA-NWM-003 UP2
DOWNLINK FR.: 4161,5 MHZ POL L
525 NTSC 4/3 MPEG 4:2:2 66665 hsymb/s FEC 7/8
OP MODE: HIGH QUALITY
AUDIO:1 SOUND MONO
AUDIO:2 SOUND MONO
AUDIO:3 N/A
AUDIO:4 N/A

Please state your participation to program@eurovision.net
In case of immediate operational problems, the Eurovision Control Centre can be contacted at Tel + 41 22 717 2790 Fax 2940.

* REUTERS
Reuters will have material available on their Sports 2 (05:30 GMT) and Sports 3 (05:15GMT) feeds on Monday June 9.
Please state your participation to tvsports@reuters.com
REUTERS SUBSCRIBERS WILL BE ADVISED OF TIMING VIA THE REUTER DAILY OUTLOOK MESSAGE

* SNTV
SNTV will have material available on their SNTV Europe/Middle East Early feed (04:00 GMT) on Monday June 9.
Please state your participation to planning@sntv.com
Please check out www.sntv.com for more details.

For more details including information on custom news feeds please contact:
Brian Mahony, ITU Director of Media and TV
brian.mahony@triathlon.org
+ 1 604 779 4503 (Mobile)
http://www.triathlon.org

Vancouver, Canada (June 5, 2008) - One month after winning the junior European championships in Lisbon, Frenchman Vincent Luis capped off his junior career by winning today's world championships. He overcame cold and wet conditions to win his first world title. Russian Denis Vasiliev took the silver while Great Britain's Jonathon Brownlee came from behind to take bronze.

Water temperature was measured at a chilly 13 degrees as the junior men took the start line at the English Bay beach. Luis and Vasiliev were among the leaders as they exited the water while Brownlee was almost 20 seconds behind. A lead group of three that included Luis and Vasiliev, along with Australian Joshua Amberger, quickly formed and began to put distance between their chasers. As the three men took the bell lap they were up by a full minute and ten seconds.

Luis was first out of T2 and immediately set the pace on the 5-kilometer run course. The French teenager from Paris took command and wouldn't relinquish the lead, becoming the fourth Frenchman to be crowned junior world champion. Vasiliev managed to hold onto silver while Brownlee completed an impressive comeback during the run to secure the final spot on the podium.

2008 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships
Junior Men - Unofficial Results
1 Vincent Luis - France 0:57:06
2 Denis Vasiliev - Russia 0:57:36
3 Jonathon Brownlee - Great Britain 0:57:43
4 Joshua Amberger - Australia 0:57:52
5 Rodrigo Gonzalez - Mexico 0:58:19
6 Franz Loeschke - Germany 0:58:24
7 Min Ho Heo - Korea 0:58:26
8 Igor Polyanskiy - Russia 0:58:35
9 Tom Davison - New Zealand 0:58:39
10 David Obozil - France 0:58:40

Click here for full timing splits and unofficial final results

Official full field results will be available here

The Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships will be the 20th in ITU's history. Close to 3,000 athletes from more than 60 countries will compete in junior, under23, elite and age-group categories. It will be the biggest sporting event to hit Vancouver before the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and will be the final qualifier event in ITU's two-year Olympic qualifying period.

The junior race is standard sprint distance: 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike, 5-kilometer run. Live coverage will be available online at triathlon.org. Click here for more event information

Click here to log into ITU's Online Media Center

Vancouver, Canada (June 5, 2008) - For the second straight year Great Britain won the junior women's world championship. Kirsty McWilliam of Glasgow, Scotland overcame cold and wet conditions in Vancouver, Canada to win today's triathlon junior world title.

"It was freezing out there this morning but I'm from Scotland so I'm very used to it," said McWilliam.

Ashleigh Gentle of Australia took the silver while Hungarian Zsofia Toth won the bronze. It was the second straight year Gentle has won silver at the junior world championships.

McWilliam was down by more than 20 seconds after the swim but quickly bridged up to the leaders on the second lap of the bike. After entering the second transition even with German Alena Stawczynski, McWilliam began to take control of the race. Midway through the 5-kilometer run, the Scot had built an insurmountable 39-second lead. Carrying the British and Scottish flags, McWilliam crossed the line in tears as she was crowed the 2008 junior world champion. Last year McWilliam finished 7th, a race won by her countrywoman Hollie Avil.

Gentle and Toth came down ran together for most of the run but Gentle showed off her strong final finishing kick to outsprint Toth to the line. Zimbabwe's Ashley Finaughty finished in fourth place while Aussie Emma Jackson rounded out the top five. Canadian hopeful Paula Findlay finished in 9th place.

2008 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships
Junior Women - Unofficial Results
Gold - Kirsty McWilliam - Great Britain 1:04:05.03
Silver - Ashleigh Gentle - Australia 1:04:43.40
Bronze - Zsofia Toth - Hungary 1:04:47.15
4th - Ashley Finaughty - Zimbabwe 1:05:07.80
5th - Emma Jackson - Australia 1:05:18.56
6th - Alena Stawczynski - Germany 1:05:22.88
7th - Claudia Rivas - Mexico 1:05:23.70
8th - Maaike Caelers - Netherlands 1:05:27.19
9th - Paula Findlay - Canada 1:05:28.01
10th - Nataliya Efremova - Russia 1:05:32.57

Click here for full timing splits and unofficial final results

Official full field results will be available here

The Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships will be the 20th in ITU's history. Close to 3,000 athletes from more than 60 countries will compete in junior, under23, elite and age-group categories. It will be the biggest sporting event to hit Vancouver before the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and will be the final qualifier event in ITU's two-year Olympic qualifying period.

The junior race is standard sprint distance: 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike, 5-kilometer run. Live coverage will be available online at triathlon.org. Click here for more event information

Click here to log into ITU's Online Media Center

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Vancouver, Canada (June 4, 2008) - An early 7am start greets the junior women on Thursday morning as they toe the line at the beach in English Bay, Vancouver, ready to fight it out for the prestigious world championship title.

Last year's world champion, Great Britain's Hollie Avil, won't be defending her title as she concentrates on gaining selection to the British Olympic squad. However, last year's silver medallist, Ashleigh Gentle from Australia, will be looking to step onto the top of the podium.

Home Canadian support will be centred on Paula Findlay from Edmonton, Alberta who finished sixth at last year's world championships in Hamburg. The young Canadian has shown consistent improvement in the past couple of years and the partisan crowd will spur her on.

The threat from Europe arrives in the form of European junior champion Emmie Charayron from France and European silver medallist, Kirsty McWilliam from Great Britain. Anais Moniz from Portugal won the world junior championships in 2005 and will look to repeat that success in her final year at the junior level.

Click here for complete junior women's start list

The gold and silver medallists from the 2007 junior men's world championships, Aurйlien Raphael from France and Alistair Brownlee from Great Britain, are stepping up to the Under23 level this year, leaving the top of the podium wide open.

Last year's bronze medallist and newly crowned European junior champion, Vincent Luis from France will start as one of the favourites. However, he will have to fight off Joao Silva from Portugal who he narrowly beat in a sprint finish at the Europeans in Lisbon last month.

A whole host of younger siblings also pose threats with Jonathan Brownlee, the younger brother of Alistair Brownlee, the 2006 junior world champion, in contention following a bronze medal in Lisbon. A trio of Russians hail from distinguished families as Igor Polyanskiy, Andrey Brukhankov and Denis Vasiliev all look to emulate the successes of their older brothers.

Click here for complete junior men's start list

The Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships will be the 20th in ITU's history. Close to 3,000 athletes from more than 60 countries will compete in junior, under23, elite and age-group categories. It will be the biggest sporting event to hit Vancouver before the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and will be the final qualifier event in ITU's two-year Olympic qualifying period.

The junior race will be standard sprint distance: 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike, 5-kilometer run. Live coverage will be available online at triathlon.org.

Start Times:
Junior Women - 7:00am on Thursday June 5 (Pacific Daylight Time; UTC/GMT -7)
Junior Men - 9:00am on Thursday June 5 (Pacific Daylight Time; UTC/GMT -7)
Click here for start times in your area

Click here to log into ITU's Online Media Center


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Vancouver, Canada (June 2, 2008) - This week Vancouver hosts the 2008 BG Triathlon World Championships at scenic English Bay and Stanley Park. Construction of the venue and temporary stadium has already begun and continues through tomorrow.

Close to 3,000 athletes from more than 60 countries will compete in all categories. It will be the biggest sporting event to hit Vancouver before the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and will be the final qualifier to determine the Canada's Olympic triathlon team for Beijing this summer.

The world championships venue will have a festival-feel over the four days as thousands will be taking in the race action, sport expo/triathlon village, opening ceremonies, and parade of nations. The Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships are the 20th in the history for the International Triathlon Union (ITU). It's the fourth time the event will be held in Canada and first time since Edmonton hosted in 2001. Other Canadian host cities include: Huntsville/Muskoka, Ont. (1992) and Montreal, Que. (1999).

Thursday, June 5th
Future Olympians and triathlon stars will kick off the racing as new junior women's and men's world champions will be crowned.
7am - Junior Women world championship
9am - Junior Men world championship
10:30am - Junior medal ceremonies
2:30pm - Parade of Nations and Opening Ceremonies (English Bay). More than 60 nations will line up on Beach Ave for the opening festivities.

Friday, June 6th
6:30am - Age-group sprint distance world championship
2pm - Official pre-race press conference (venue media centre).
Athletes in attendance include Canadians Simon Whitfield, Lauren Groves (the only two Canadians who have pre-qualified for Beijing), Kirsten Sweetland, Paul Tichelaar, defending world champion Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal and last year's silver medalist Javier Gomez of Spain.

Saturday, June 7th
6:30am - Corporate Challenge
6:45am - Athletes with a Disability (AWAD) world championship
7:15am - Age-group Olympic distance world championship


Sunday, June 8th
7am - Under23 women world championship
10am - Under23 men world championship
1pm - Elite women world championship
4pm - Elite men world championship
6:15pm - Under23 & Elite medal ceremonies
7:00pm - Post-race press conference **estimated time
7:30pm - Closing ceremonies & age-group medal ceremonies (GM Place)

Venue Media Centre Details
Location: south side of Beach Ave, approximately 100 meters east of Denman Street, across from The Boathouse restaurant.

Pick-up: Accredited media may pick up their accreditation and media kit during the media centre's hours of operation. Click here for dates and times.

**Only accredited media will have access to the media centre and media zones. Non-accredited media wishing to attend the event must contact ITU Media staff Stephen Bourdeau or Paula Kim.

Click here to download a full event schedule 66kb

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For more information, contact:
Paula Kim or Marcie Arnold
Triathlon Vancouver Media
604-904-9248
media@triathlonvancouver.com

Vancouver, Canada (May 29, 2008) - Next week English Bay and Stanley Park will undergo a dramatic transformation into a world class triathlon venue as the city prepares to host the 2008 BG Triathlon World Championships from June 5 to 8. The event will affect traffic and parking in the areas between Stanley Park and Burrard Street and between Robson Street and English Bay. Roads will be closed at different times of the day from June 1 to 9. During these times the temporary stadium will be constructed and later, triathletes will be training and racing. Some bus routes will be affected. Residents and commuters should prepare to use alternate routes and expect some delays. The Triathlon Vancouver Organizing Committee (TVOC) sent direct mail-outs to West End residents and businesses notifying them of road closures.

Click here for schedule and maps for further details on road closures

Spectators are encouraged to join the event to cheer on the world's best triathletes by walking, biking, or taking Vancouver City buses down to English Bay and Stanley Park and lining the course. Admission is free and there is grandstand seating at the transition area and finish line.

The 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike and 10-kilometer run Olympic distance race will start and finish in English Bay, while the bike portion extends into Stanley Park, making this year's world championships one of the most picturesque in the 20-year history of the International Triathlon Union (ITU). The venue will have a festival-feel over the four days as thousands will be taking in the race action, sport expo, opening ceremonies, and parade of nations.

Close to 3,000 athletes from 66 countries will compete in the elite, junior, under23, age-group and corporate events. It will be the biggest sporting event to hit Vancouver before the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and will be the final qualifier to determine the Canada's Olympic triathlon team for Beijing this summer.

Vancouver, Canada (May 19, 2008) - Olympic gold medalist Simon Whitfield and Beijing hopeful Kirsten Sweetland were at English Bay today in the three-week countdown to the Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships. Both flew over from Victoria for the afternoon to check out the course and offer some tips to kids and age-group athletes. Whitfield took advantage of being right at the race venue by suiting up for a quick swim with the kids even in spite of the rain.

"It's not as cold as I thought it would be. It's actually quite nice," said Whitfield when he came back to shore.

Whitfield, who has already pre-qualified for this summer's Beijing Olympics, won last year's world cup here in Vancouver and will be aiming for his first world championship here in Vancouver on June 8. Attaining the elusive world title will make him the only triathlete to hold both Olympic and world championship golds.

"To win a world championship at home would be huge, it's something I'd put on the resume. But it's not like I can go to the supermarket shelf and pick one up, I have to figure out how to win one," said Whitfield.

He has raced just once this year, winning his 11th world cup title in Japan last month. The rest of the time Whitfield has been training at his home in Victoria. Part of his training group includes the promising up and comer Sweetland, who achieved something even Whitfield himself has never accomplished, being crowned junior world champion in 2006.

"The clichй is that she learns from me but I learn so much from her," said Whitfield of Sweetland, who is 13 years his junior. "She's so keen and works so hard."

This June Sweetland will not only be racing for a world championship but also for a spot on the Canadian Olympic team. A top-8 performance in Vancouver will ensure her a spot on the Beijing start line which means she has more at stake than most athletes at the world championships.

"I'm not a person who notices pressure too much. I think of it as 'nothing to lose', I only have something to gain," said Sweetland. "I'm really looking forward to it and being in the home province is a real advantage where I know everyone in the crowds is cheering for the Canadians."

Like Whitfield, the teenage prodigy hasn't raced much this year, a fifth place at a world cup in South Korea, good enough to fulfill the first criteria for Olympic selection. Sweetland has taken lessons from last season when she competed in eight world cups leading up to the world championships in Hamburg, a race she failed to finish due to injury.

"I really love racing but when I saw the after effects of that, I'd rather be smart than get myself tired and over-traveled and over-raced. I had a bit of a bumpy winter so I really had to get some smooth training in."

Earlier in the day, Lorne Mayencourt, MLA for Vancouver-Burrard proudly announced the province of British Columbia would be providing $400,000 funding for the event. With approximately 3000 athletes, coaches, team managers and international media coming to B.C., the world championships are expected to generate $10-million in economic activity.

The Triathlon Vancouver Organizing Committee (TVOC) is pleased to confirm that a total of 60 countries will be represented at the Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships. The event kicks off on June 5 with the junior men and women's races. Under23 and elite races will be staged on Sunday June 8th.

For Immediate Release (May 15, 2008) - With the triathlon world championships just three weeks away, Simon Whitfield (Victoria, BC), the sport's first Olympic gold medalist, and Kirsten Sweetland (Victoria, BC), one of triathlon's brightest young stars will be in Vancouver to help countdown to one of the biggest sports events to hit Vancouver this year.

WHAT: Interview and photo opportunity with Whitfield and Sweetland. After racing around the world, they will offer advice to athletes racing in the Corporate Challenge and will be available to talk about their training and Olympic preparation. Whitfield has pre-qualified for Beijing while Sweetland needs a top-8 at world championships to secure her first Olympic selection.

DATE: Monday May 19th, 2008

TIME: 12:45pm (please arrive at 12:30pm to sign in)

WHERE: The Sylvia Hotel - 1154 Gilford Street (between Beach Ave & Pendrell Street) for opening remarks. Photo opportunity and interviews with all athletes to follow at English Bay beach (weather permitting). Click here for hotel information and map

Following interviews, media are invited back to the Sylvia hotel for hors d'oeuvres and refreshments with all the athletes. We understand Monday is a holiday, however, with the tight training schedules of the athletes, this was the only day they were both available.

The Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships are presented by Haywood Securities Inc. and the Province of British Columbia. The event will take place on June 5-8 at English Bay and Stanley Park and will attract approximately 3,000 athletes from 45 countries. It will be the final Olympic qualifier for the Canadian Olympic team.

For more information contact:
Paula Kim or Marcie Arnold
Triathlon Vancouver Media
Phone: 604-904-9248
media@triathlonvancouver.com

Vancouver, Canada (May 13, 2008) - The organizing committee for the 2008 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships is pleased welcome 95 Crave as the event’s official radio partner. The station will be intimately involved in creating awareness and excitement for the world championship. 95 Crave will be at the event live on Sunday when four days of racing climaxes with the elite competitions.

"95 Crave is thrilled to be the exclusive radio partner for this fantastic world class event. It's almost like a microcosm of Vancouver - it's fun, it's active, it's free-wheeling and it's participatory. We love this stuff. The radio station and the city are better for it being here," said Brad Phillips, Vice President and General Manager of 95 Crave.

95 Crave’s promotion includes airtime focusing on awareness of the event, encouraging participation, either as volunteers or spectators. It is also leading by example as the station has already entered several teams in the Corporate Challenge. Designed to engage employees and encourage healthy living, the Corporate Challenge will be staged on Saturday June 7 and can be raced as an individual or team. Currently 95 Crave has entered more teams than any other company, showing they are committed to active living.

Click here to listen to 95 Crave now! http://www.95crave.com

Vancouver, Canada (May 8, 2008) - The countdown continues to the Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships. Four weeks from today, the first day of competition will begin at English Bay and Stanley Park as more than 3,000 athletes from 45 countries will take part in the 20th edition of ITU's flagship event.

"With the world championships just four weeks away, we're very confident all the months of planning and preparation will produce one of the best world championships ever," said Philip Davis, Vice-President of the Triathlon Vancouver Organizing Committee (TVOC) and Director of Operations. "It's incredible to feel the excitement building in the city as we head towards the event. We're looking forward to a great turnout at an exceptional venue, and showcasing Vancouver as a world-class sports city."

Momentum and community participation continue to build as the number of volunteers has exceeded 700 and quickly closing in on 1000. The Corporate Challenge is gaining entries from many local triathletes from businesses and companies and the event