It will also get underway without three of the sport's leading men's performers: British pair Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, and Spain's Javier Gomez, who won in Sydney last year.

They have all opted not to compete, with Alistair Brownlee still recovering from an Achilles tear which has disrupted his build-up for London 2012, opening the path for Russia's Alexander Bruykhankov, who has claimed five Series medals since 2009, to potentially claim a first gold in Sydney.

Bruykhankov will wear the number one jersey this weekend with compatriot Dmitry Polyansky sporting the number two shirt.

Double French champion Laurent Vidal (pictured top), who competed in the Beijing Olympics four years ago, will be another strong contender as will David Hauss, another Frenchman who has finished on the podium in eight ITU races.

Remarkably neither a Frenchman nor a Russian has ever won an ITU series race, however.

Australia's Brendan Sexton will also hope to show the form that enabled him to win the Monterrey event during the 2011 ITU World Cup.

The competition also offers Olympic spots for London 2012 with the first New Zealander across the line set to qualify for the Games.

Bevan Docherty, who won a silver medal at Athens in 2004 and bronze in Beijing 2008 and was victorious in the Sydney leg of the ITU World Series in 2010, will compete with Beijing rival Kris Gemmell for that slot.

Will Clarke is also hoping to be the third British competitor alongside the Brownlee brothers in London, and he goes up against Tim Don and Stuart Hayes with a chance to lay down a marker this weekend.

Others hunting for Olympic spots include Canada's Simon Whitfield, Brent McMahon and Kyle Jones, and Spain's Jose Miguel Perez.

Each is all striving to land a third slot for their country.

Others whose nations are close securing a third spot are Portugal's Joao Pereira, Russian Ivan Vasiliev and American Manuel Huerta.

Among the women, Beijing 2008 bronze medallist Emma Moffatt will be among the favourites to claim a Sydney win alongside in-form Kiwi Andrea Hewitt, who has won the Beijing Grand Final, Yokohama Series event and the Auckland World Cup in recent months.


Reigning Olympic champion Emma Snowsill (pictured above) will also be looking for victory as she looks to claim a third spot for Australia and ensure she can defend her title this summer; Emma Jackson and Erin Densham are both also battling to represent Australia in London.

Barbara Riveros Diaz of Chile, who won in Sydney in 2010 and came second last year, should be in the mix at the front.

But one competitor who will not be in contention is Canada's Paula Findlay, who claimed victory down under last year but is absent this weekend.

Switzerland's Daniela Ryf and Kathrin Muller of Germany are also locked in competition to win a third place for their countries in London.

Sydney's course will take in Macquarie and College streets, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Sydney Harbour.

The city was host to the inaugural Olympic triathlon event when it hosted the Games in 2000.

The men's race takes place on Saturday with the women competing on Sunday

Local organising committee head Malcolm Noad is promising a spectacular event.

"The world's best triathletes, representing more than 39 countries, will converge on Sydney for the first major event of the year," he said.

"Australia's Olympic hopefuls will also compete in what will be the most competitive triathlon in Sydney since 2000."

A grandstand and a lifestyle expo will furnish the finish line in Hyde Park; fittingly a park of the same name will host this summer's triathlon in London.

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