Docherty, the 2004 Olympic silver medallist and bronze winner at Beijing in 2008, overtook the race leaders, France's Tony Moulai and American Matt Chrabot, to win comfortably in a time of one hour 51sec 27sec.

Russian Alexander Brukhankov was second, six seconds behind and edged David Hauss of France by a second.

Moulai and Chrabot finished sixth and ninth, respectively. 

Canada's Simon Whitfield, who won gold in the 2000 Sydney Olympics triathlon, was fifth in a race missing Britain's defending world champion Alistair Brownlee, who is recovering from a stress fracture.

Riveros Diaz won the women's race in 2:04.20, with second-place Andrea Hewitt of New Zealand finishing in the same time after being just edged out at the line.

Emma Moffatt of Australia, the Beijing bronze medallist , was third, just one second behind.

"I was a bit nervous heading into the final lap," Riveros Diaz said.

"I'm usually not very good at a sprint finish, but today it all worked out very well."

Hewitt said Riveros Diaz was "amazing."

"We really pushed each other hard on the run," Hewitt said.

"Barbara was just too tough coming down that final hill and I couldn't stay with her."



Moffatt, the reigning world champion, suffered a broken shoulder in bike training and had not been able to swim for about six weeks.

Another Australian Emma on the Beijing podium, gold medallist Emma Snowsill, did not compete today due to a virus.

"You have to be a tough racer, particularly in this series if you want to go well," said Moffatt, 25, who claimed valuable series points with her podium finish.

It was the second year in a row that Docherty has kicked off the World Championship season with a win.

"I always enjoy the sprint finishes, but it was nice to have a little room to be able to celebrate the win a bit," Docherty said.

The 33-year-old New Zealander, now based in the United States, said the course, a similar one used to the first Olympic triathlon in Sydney in 2000, was "much harder than I expected."

"But I felt good heading into the final lap and was able to make a break. Winning in front of the Sydney Opera House is amazing," Docherty added.

The second race of the World Championship series will be held in Seoul on May 8, with the grand final scheduled for Budapest, Hungary on September 12.

Other races in the series are scheduled for Madrid, Hamburg in Germany, London and Kitzbuehel in Austria.