As the penultimate race of the 2013 World Triathlon Series it's not surprising that the stars will turn out in Stockholm this weekend. Both the men's and women's fields boast almost every athlete that is still within reach of claiming the overall 2013 World Triathlon Series title, and more who could still claim a place on the podium, which means Sweden is set for some fast and furious series action. This year Stockholm is a full Olympic distance race, after it debuted on the circuit in 2012 with a sprint distance.

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Australians to watch

Get social in Stockholm
Official hashtag - #WTSStockholm
Twitter - @worldtriathlon &@triathlonlive
Facebook - World Triathlon
YouTube - World Triathlon
Instagram - World Triathlon

About the race:

The capital of Sweden is over 700 years old and the greater metropolitan area now has a

population of over two million, making it one of the largest cities in Scandinavia. Built on 14 islands around one of Europe's largest and best-preserved medieval city centres, it is located by the Baltic Sea. It's also a vibrant, modern city, famous for producing sleek designs, edgy fashion and world-class nightclubs. Stockholm also has a strong sporting history, the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games set the benchmark for the Olympics of the modern era. It was the first time athletes from all five continents participated, and the first time live timing, photo finishes and a public address system were used.

SCHEDULE:

Elite Women - Saturday 24 August - 21:20 (AEST) Click here for time in your area  

Elite Men - Sunday 25 August - 23:30 (AEST)  Click here for time in your area

WEBSITE:

http://stockholm.triathlon.org/ 

START LISTS:

Click here for women's start list 

Click here for men's start list 

LIVE COVERAGE:

Live video coverage be available on race day at triathlon.org/tv or at @triathlonlive 

on Twitter. 

TOTAL PRIZE MONEY:    

$180,000 USD (equal for men & women)    

COURSE PROFILE:  Course Map  

Swim (1.5km) - Off a pontoon start, athletes will swim two 750m laps.

Bike (40km) - After transitioning in front of Stockholm Palace, athletes will bike a ten-lap

4km technical course that circles through the Old Town of Stockholm and includes one

small hill near the transition area.

Run (10km) - Off the bike, athletes will transition again in front of Stockholm Palace and

run four laps of a 2.5km run course.

STORIES TO WATCH FOR:   

The battle for the overall 2013 World Triathlon Series titles -  

Not only is it a stellar field in both races, but as the penultimate race in a fascinating 2013 World Triathlon Series season where the race for rankings points will loom almost as large as the race outcome, it's must-watch action. In the men's those still within reach of the series podium include Alistair Brownlee, Jonathan Brownlee, Javier Gomez, Richard Murray and Sven Riederer, although Gomez currently holds a commanding lead in the quest for his third ITU World Championship. In the women's Germany's Anne Haug regained her spot at the top of the rankings after a stellar win at home in Hamburg last month, but overall there is very little that separates the pint-sized German star and the other women who have taken World Triathlon Series wins alongside her in 2013, Jodie Stimpson, Gwen Jorgensen and Non Stanford. Overall, this weekend in Stockholm is set to have a very big say on the overall 2013 results.
 

Olympic silver medallist Lisa Norden to return at home -  

Stockholm will see the return of London 2012 Olympic silver medallist and last year's event winner Lisa Norden. After taking the early part of the year to ramp up her triathlon distance, with some impressive results, Norden returns to ITU racing for the first time since taking out the 2012 WTS title with a gutsy performance in Auckland. While she admits on her blog she is lacking run fitness due to some foot issues this year, Norden will certainly have plenty of crowd support when she takes to her home course.

Brownlee, Brownlee and Gomez - another podium?    

So far in their ITU careers, Alistair Brownlee, Jonathan Brownlee and Javier Gomez have raced against each other 13 times. Out of that 13, they have shared the podium four times. That doesn't seem that foreboding until you unpick that those four results came from the past five races they all hit the startline, across the past three years. The last two races were a year apart, the London 2012 Olympic Games and the Hamburg sprint event this year. While the podium spots were slightly switched up, it was still those three on top. It's also key to note that in the men's field, no-one else but those three has actually won a WTS race in 2013. 

PREVIOUS STOCKHOLM WINNERS  

ITU World Triathlon Series Winners

              Elite Women                          Elite Men

2012       Lisa Norden (SWE)               Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 

Press Release courtesy of the ITU