London to host World Championship leg once again

LONDON'S Hyde Park will once again host a leg of ITU World Championship Series after Alistair Brownlee's triumph in the inaugural event.

EASY: Alistair Brownlee romped to victory at the London leg of the 2009 World Championship Series - just as he did throughout the year (OnEdition)

The capital will remain on the calendar with Madrid, Kitzbuhel and Hamburg while Sydney, Seoul and Budapest join the seven-leg series.

Brownlee has taken 2009 by storm, romping to victory in the five World Championship races he entered - including London and the Grand Final on Australia's Gold Coast - to claim the title in emphatic fashion.

The World Championship course almost mirrors the 2012 Olympic route and Brownlee admits he's relishing the opportunity to compete on home soil again. 

"Competing and winning in London was amazing," said Brownlee. "It was a great opportunity to start to understand just what an Olympics in London will feel like. 

"Its great we will have the chance to race there again in 2010."

Major of London Boris Johnson added: "This year's World Championships, set against the magnificent backdrop that only London can offer, were a fabulous success.

"It is a challenging sport that makes for a thrilling event - both for the world-class athletes taking part and the spectators cheering them on.

"As we build up to the 2012 Games, London looks forward to welcoming this exciting event again in 2010 and in 2011."

The season will kick off in Sydney on April 11, where current women's champion Emma Moffat will open her title defence on home soil, while London hosts the fifth-leg on July 24-25.

Full Schedule:
April 11: Sydney, Australia
May 08-09. Seoul, South Korea
June 05-06: Madrid, Spain
July 17-18: Hamburg, Germany
July 24-25: London, United Kingdom
August 14-15: Kitzbuhel, Austria
September 11-12: Budapest, Hungary (Grand Final)