2012 ITU World Cup Season Continues In Edmonton

A strong Canadian team at home and some London-bound athletes looking to find form highlight the sprint distance race.

The race offers a final chance for fans to see two members of its Canadian Olympic team in action, including soon to be four-time Olympian Simon Whitfield and Kyle Jones. Whitfield is also a multiple Edmonton winner, in 2002 and 2003, and another World Cup win could see him move to outright second on the list of overall wins. Whitfield is currently equal second with Javier Gomez, as both have 12 World Cup titles.  Jones finished in fourth place in Edmonton last year, which tied his career-best World Cup result.

While the Canadian London-bound pair will start as favourites, there are also some other athletes who will be aiming for form with less than a month to go until the Games, including the USA’s Manuel Huerta. The USA men’s team is strong, alongside Huerta there is Jarrod Shoemaker, and Kevin McDowell who is down for his World Cup debut. McDowell won silver at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games and then bronze in the 2010 Junior Men’s World Championship race, before being diagnosed with cancer. He made his comeback at a sprint distance Pan American Cup last year, and made his full distance ITU debut in a Pan American Cup in Dallas earlier this year.

Read more: Triathlon.org