London 2012 triathlon must take in the sights, says ITU chief

INTERNATIONAL Triathlon Union chief Paul Coleman has revealed the London 2012 triathlon route will be tailored to encompass London's iconic landmarks.

SIGHT-SEEING: London 2012 triathlon must take in the city's iconic landmarks, says ITU chief (Getty Images)  

In August, Hyde Park will play host to the sixth leg of the new-look World Championship Series which has seen its prize fund significantly bumped up to $150,000 per race, courtesy of top-tier sponsorship from Dextro Energy.

Coleman - director of the series - confirmed on Tuesday that August's competition would remain within the boundaries of Hyde Park, with the 1500m swim set to take place in The Serpentine lake.

The 2012 cycling leg, in contrast to the series race, is set to leave the park - Henry VIII's hunting grounds - and head east towards Westminster and the Mall.

The Beijing 2008 triathlon was staged at the scenic setting of the Mings Tomb Reservoir - just a stone's throw away from the Great Wall of China - and 2012 organisers are keen to follow suit.

But Coleman confirmed a balance must be struck between the quality of the course and the quality of its surroundings.

"The course for London 2012 is still under discussion and still in the planning stages but the bike ride is going to leave Hyde Park," said Coleman.

"This year isn't the exact Olympic course. We are obviously developing in 2009 currently and hopefully we'll be able to have slightly different courses in 2010 and 2011.

"The reasoning behind that is we want to showcase the city of London as much as possible as best we can, but we are trying our best to produce a challenging course for the athletes.

"It would be very good from our point of view if the athletes had some technical questions to address on the course.

"But then showcasing the city is also high on the list of priorities.  Eventually the final decision and the final approval will come down to the ITU and Locog."

The previous international triathlon event to be held in the UK was the 2003 World Cup in Salford - also the venue for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

But organisers believe the switch to London could pull crowds of 250,000 - rivalling the number that turned out for the Tour de France last year.    

"Off the back of the London 2012 Olympics we're looking to attract as many major events to the capital as possible," said Mayor of London's office marketing director Dan Ritterband.

"Obviously there are restrictions because we can't do men's downhill skiing somewhere for example.

"It's not that easy because an 80,000-person stadium can be used for major events but will not be for slightly smaller championships.

"But a sport that is growing as much as triathlon is ideal for London and the continuation of the sporting legacy in this country."

The London leg of World Championship Series will take place on August 15-16 and will feature a 1500m swim, a 40-kilometre bike ride and a ten-kilometre run.

GERARD MEAGHER