With the dawn of 2016, the year of Rio Olympics, Abu Dhabi will once again find itself the focus of the triathlon world as the first leg of the ITU World Triathlon Series returns to the UAE capital. The world’s best triathletes, including several Olympic contenders, will launch this highly anticipated Olympic season on the Abu Dhabi Corniche on March 5, competing on an Olympic distance course for the very first time in the Emirate.

“The Olympic season is always a very exciting time for the ITU World Triathlon Series and also acts as a catalyst for the growth of the sport around the world,” said Marisol Casado, ITU President and IOC member.

“Abu Dhabi will be one of the pivotal races this series for many reasons. We are expecting a particularly strong Abu Dhabi line-up this year as many Rio 2016 contenders use the race as a key stage in their Olympic preparations, whilst others aim to make the Olympic qualifying mark for their national squads in the emirate. The sooner triathletes can qualify for the Olympics the better, so many will be looking forward to Abu Dhabi as their best chance to qualify earlier on in the season.” Details