The winners of the elite men's and elite women's races – today and tomorrow respectively – over the 1.5 kilometres swim, 40km cycle and 10km run courses will win a spot for their national Olympic committees at this summer's Games.

South Africa's four-times champion, Kate Roberts, who competed at Beijing 2008, and compatriot Gillian Sanders (pictured top) will be among the favourites to take the women's title.

Sanders won silver at the African Championships last year while Roberts claimed gold in both 2010 and 2011.

Carlyn Fischer may push the duo close after claiming gold at the All-Africa Games in 2011.

Mauritian Fabienne Aline St Louis, the reigning under-23 African champion, will be a dark horse to claim a berth London 2012.

South Africa will be optimistic of picking up both London 2012 spots on offer if Richard Murray can live up to his billing as the pre-race favourite among the men.

Murray is the reigning African champion, claimed his first World Cup medal in Huatulco, Mexico, last year, and comes into this weekend having won the Cape Town ITU Sprint Triathlon African Cup.

In 2010 Murray burst onto the scene by taking the African and South African under-23 titles, soon adding both national and continental duathlon crowns to his CV.

Three-times champion Hendrik De Villiers, a fellow Springbok, should provide tough competition for Murray as could Mehdi Essadiq (pictured below, leading), of Morocco, who finished ahead of de Villiers at a ITU Triathlon Premium African Cup event in Port Elizabeth recently.



Erhard Wolfaardt, another South African triple victor of the event, cannot be discounted either while Zimbabwe's Christopher Felgate will hope for a return to the Olympics after competing in Beijing four years ago.

Some 110 competitors will participate at London 2012 – 55 of each gender – with the majority of slots being decided on world rankings.

The Olympic women's triathlon will take place on August 4 at Hyde Park in London with the men's competition on August 7 at the same venue.

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