The 2020 Tokyo Olympics men's gold, silver and bronze medallists are set to headline the World Triathlon Championship Finals on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on November 23-26.
Norway's Kristian Blummenfelt, Briton Alex Yee and New Zealander Hayden Wilde will all take part in the event in the UAE next month.
Joining the trio are the Olympic women’s gold and silver medallists Flora Duffy, of Bermuda, and Briton Georgia Taylor-Brown.
Blummenfelt, 28, made sporting history by becoming the first male triathlete to win the Olympic and World titles in the same year.
A powerful biker, his relentless running surges steered him to his most successful season in 2021, starting with a brilliant win at WTCS Yokohama and ending in Championship Finals glory in Edmonton – with gold in Tokyo in between.
Yee, 24, silver medallist behind Blummenfelt and winner of gold in the Mixed Relay in Tokyo, arrives in good form having added the triathlon title at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in the summer.
Wilde, 25, won three stages of the World Triathlon Championship Series and arrives as the World No 1.
He has skipped the World Triathlon Series Cagliari and Bermuda races and instead will arrive in Abu Dhabi three weeks early to put in a solid training block and adapt to the weather in the capital.
“The last few years have been incredible and winning an Olympic medal is a unique feeling few have the privilege of experiencing,” Wilde said in a statement.
“Behind this achievement was a long journey, and countless hours of training but any lover of this sport will understand that triathlon is well worth it.
“This year I took home silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, so what better way to end the year being crowned World Champ in Abu Dhabi?
“The competition is going to be fierce – especially from Alex. We’ve enjoyed some great battles on the racecourse so I can’t wait to go head-to-head again!
“I’ve chosen to prepare for the World Championships by coming to Abu Dhabi for a month prior to the race – I’ve heard that the training facilities are amazing, so I’m hoping it’ll be the perfect lead-up for me to take home a world title.”
Duffy, who created history by becoming the first Bermudian Olympic gold medallist, insisted she is motivated and excited by the potential battle for the world title in Abu Dhabi.
“For that kind of Grand Final to materialise, I first need a good score in Bermuda,” she said.
“Georgia more than deserves her top spot, and I’m the underdog at this point hoping to make it exciting.
“This season has been a strange and long one with many ups and downs – post Olympics and some Covid challenges, some injury and middle-distance goals.
“I have fond memories from last year in Abu Dhabi, which I can draw on, and expect the atmosphere to be even bigger this year with more triathletes competing over the weekend.”
Also confirmed for the event is American Allysa Seely, a paratriathlon gold medallist at the 2016 and 2020 Paralympics Games.
Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
One-and-a-half out of five stars
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
Places to go for free coffee
- Cherish Cafe Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, are giving away free coffees all day.
- La Terrace, Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai, are serving their first 50 guests one coffee and four bite-sized cakes
- Wild & The Moon will be giving away a free espresso with every purchase on International Coffee Day
- Orange Wheels welcome parents are to sit, relax and enjoy goodies at ‘Café O’ along with a free coffee
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Stage 3 results
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 4:42:33
2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:03
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:30
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Diego Ulissi (ITA) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:56
General Classification after Stage 3:
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 12:30:02
2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:35
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:40
5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Wilco Kelderman (NED) Team Sunweb) 0:02:06
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Fixtures
Friday Leganes v Alaves, 10.15pm; Valencia v Las Palmas, 12.15am
Saturday Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad, 8.15pm; Girona v Atletico Madrid, 10.15pm; Sevilla v Espanyol, 12.15am
Sunday Athletic Bilbao v Getafe, 8.15am; Barcelona v Real Betis, 10.15pm; Deportivo v Real Madrid, 12.15am
Monday Levante v Villarreal, 10.15pm; Malaga v Eibar, midnight
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
Company%20profile
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The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
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