By Paula Kim
With the London 2012 Opening Ceremony exactly two weeks away, the International Triathlon Union (ITU) is pleased to announce the official triathlon start lists for the London 2012 Olympic Games. In Hungary, ahead of this weekend’s Tiszaujvaros ITU Triathlon World Cup, the 39 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) were randomly drawn, and then start numbers were assigned to their respective athletes in alphabetical order. While the start numbers indicate position in the transition area, they do not relate to athletes’ position on the start pontoon.
For the women, Chile’s Barbara Riveros Diaz will wear No. 1 for the women. The reigning ITU Sprint Triathlon World Champion and 2011 Pan Am Games silver medallist is viewed as a serious podium threat and is seeking to be the first South American triathlete to medal at the Olympics. Great Britain was the seventh NOC drawn, meaning numbers 8, 9 and 10 are respectively assigned to the home team of Lucy Hall, Vicky Holland and reigning ITU World Champion Helen Jenkins.
Two other strong teams were drawn immediately after Great Britain with France and Japan. Australia was the 14th NOC drawn, giving numbers 25, 26, and 27 to the powerful squad of Erin Densham, Emma Jackson and Beijing bronze medalist Emma Moffatt, respectively. The only woman to have qualified for four Olympic Games—Germany’s Anja Dittmer—will wear No. 22. She booked her spot to London 2012 with a surprising bronze at last year’s test event. The North American NOCs were drawn last with the United States and Canada occupying the final spots in the transition area.
Click here for the complete women’s triathlon start list for London 2012
