An all-Emirati team will compete in the ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi when the second edition of the season-opening World Series event gets underway on Saturday 5th March.

The three man team, comprising of swimmer Obeid Al Jasmi from Abu Dhabi, cyclist Badr Ali Thani from Dubai and Fujairah-born runner Khalifa al Nuaimi, will fly the flag for UAE in the Age Group category on the challenging Olympic Distance course alongside participants from 44 countries, including some of the world’s leading elite triathletes.

The season-opening event features one of the most picturesque and spectator-friendly courses on the circuit. Over 2,000 athletes will swim, bike and run on courses laid-out entirely around Abu Dhabi’s Corniche, starting from the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club next to the iconic United Arab Emirates flag. Participants will have the unique opportunity to race along the Abu Dhabi Corniche Road during the bike section before entering the transition zone to start the final running leg of the race.

Starting at the age of just five, 34-year-old Emirati Obeid Al Jasmi has put his passion for swimming at the centre of his life for 29 years. After representing the UAE in the 2004 Athens Olympics, the 2008 Beijing games and breaking dozens of national, Asian and GCC records in the meantime, the young Emirati has his sights firmly set on the Rio 2016 Games as part of the UAE Swimming National Team.

Powering over the 40km cycle leg when Al Jasmi emerges from the 1500m swim leg will be cyclist, 35 year-old Badr Ali Thani. Following in the footsteps of his father who was a cyclist for Al Ahli Club, Ali Thani competes in regional and international competitions such as the Asian Games, Sharjah Tour and Arabian Sprint Championship.

The baton will then be handed over for the final 10km leg of the race to runner Khalifa Al Nuaimi, who has competes as prestigious tournaments such as the Gulf Championship.

Online registrations for the 2016 ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi are open to the public via the race website at AbuDhabi.Triathlon.org.