Ishigaki's World Cup event is the longest running on the ITU circuit, and with the qualification period for this summer's Olympics ending next month this race, along with the next in Huatulco, Mexico, will be crucial.

In the men's race a number of big names are still absent; these include British duo Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, the former who is recovering from an Achilles tear and the latter who has already qualified for London.

Spain's Javier Gomez, also qualified for London, does not line-up in Ishigaki, and missing too are 2011 winner Hunter Kemper of the United States and Steffen Justus of Germany, the victor of the first round in Mooloolaba, Australia.

A number of men have opted to compete in Japan this weekend rather than Eilat, Israel, which is hosting the European Triathlon Union Championships.

London 2012 qualifier David Hauss of France (pictured top, in blue), who looked in good form in the ITU World Series event in Sydney last week, finishing fourth despite a time penalty, will harbour ambitions of adding to his three African Cup wins to date.

Also going to Japan in search of crucial ranking points are Northern Ireland's Gavin Noble and Christian Prochnow of Germany.

Canada's hopes of taking three triathletes to London will be advanced by Kyle Jones, who competed at Beijing 2008, and Brent McMahon; they will be the numbers two and three starters behind Hauss.

Home hopes could rest with Ryosuke Yamamoto, a two-times Olympian and the highest ranked Japanese male athlete competing this weekend, and Hirokatsu Tayama.

Tayama and Yamamoto finished second and third, respectively, at the recent Asian Championships.


Among the women, a number of Europeans, such as Germany's Kathrin Muller, Switzerland's Melanie Annaheim – who can secure a place at this summer's Olympics with a good result - Zurine Rodriguez of Spain and Aileen Morrison (pictured above, in green) of Ireland, have all opted to visit Japan rather than Israel.

Each is hoping to win crucial points on behalf of their country's National Olympic Committee as the battle for the final spots at this summer's Olympic triathlon tournament are decided.

Morrison is Olympic-ranked 11th and took silver in Ishigaki last year, and after a disappointing result in Sydney last week will have hopes of repeating her 2011 result as she gears up for this summer's Games.

It could be an open race with some key women's triathletes not travelling to Japan.

Barbara Riveros Diaz of Chile, who won this race last week and is already qualified for the Olympics, is absent as are Australian duo Emma Snowsill and Emma Moffatt, who won gold and silver at the last Olympics.

Erin Densham, winner of the women's ITU World Series race in Sydney last week, is another Australian not making her way to Ishigaki.

Kathy Tremblay of Canada will be going and has more at stake as she looks to push herself into Olympic contention, and African champion, South Africa's Gillian Sanders, will be confident after her excellent performance in the Le Morne African Triathlon Union (ATU) African Championships in Mauritius recently.

Sanders' compatriot, Carlyn Fischer, is another who will have hopes of victory this weekend, as will the Japanese trio of Yuka Sato – gold medallist at the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore two years ago – Kiyomi Niwata and Ai Ueda.

Niwata enjoys the distinction of having competed at each Olympic Games since the triathlon became part of the official programme at Sydney 2000.

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