Ming Tombs to host triathlon

The Ming Tomb reservoir aptly hosts the swimming section of the gruelling Olympics triathlon events on August 18 to 19 as athletes push themselves to the limit in a continuous race of 1.5km swim, 40km bike, then a 10km run.

Triathlon epitomises the spirit of the modern Olympics having been born a mere generation ago, unlike the ancient sports still appearing today, and it has set its foot firmly on the Olympic schedule with Australia and New Zealand heading the cast.

The Olympic 'splash/mash/dash,' as the sport is fondly known, takes place in the Changping District of Beijing to the north of the capital city, starting in the Ming Tomb reservoir, also known as the Shisanling Reservoir, which is in the Jiu Long Amusement park.

Recently-crowned world champions Helen Tucker of Britain and Spain's Javier Gomez, from the race in Vancouver, Canada in early June, must have a chance of taking home triathlon gold for their countries for the first ever time.

The men's race favourites include Commonwealth champion Brad Kahlefeldt and his Australian compatriot Courtney Atkinson, plus Athens Olympic silver medallist Bevan Docherty, who also came second in the 2008 world championships, and Docherty's New Zealand teammates Kris Gemmell and Shane Reed could also be in the running.

The 2004 Olympic winner in Athens, Hamish Carter of New Zealand, will not be competing this time but the 2000 Olympic and Commonwealth champion Simon Whitfield of Canada will be making the trip.

Britain's 2006 world champion Tim Don can count himself fortunate that he had a lifetime Olympic ban overturned by the British Olympic Association after missing three out-of-competition drugs tests.

In the women's event, an avid gambler would find it hard not to have a flutter on Australia's three-time world champion and reigning Commonwealth Games champion Emma Snowsill.

With excellent medical back-up and top training methods available in Australia, she has everything going for her to claim Australia's first gold in the event.

Australia's Erin Densham and Emma Moffatt came fourth and fifth in the Vancouver world championships to show their current form and hence medal potential.

Ireland's first-ever competitor in the event, Emma Davis, is also in good form, having finshed second in the recent TriAthlone event behind fellow Olympian, Czech Lenka Zemanova.

The transition area, which athletes enter twice as they move from the swim to the bike, and then later from the bike to the run, is worth a mention as it is positioned on a purposely-built platform at the base of the reservoir dam.

A stand with space for 10,000 spectators is just above that platform giving an easy view of athletes as they change sports and lap on the bike and the run.

And like the Sydney harbour bridge backdrop in 2000 and then the scenic beauty of the Athens venue, the Beijing triathlon is expected to once more remain imprinted in the memory with its visual impact.