By Nick Butler

Germany will seek a defence of the mixed triathlon relay title they won in 2013 ©Getty ImagesGermany will face a stern challenge if they are to defend their title at the fifth International Triathlon Union (ITU) Mixed Relay World Championships taking place in Hamburg on Sunday (July 13).


Last year on the same course, Germany performed superbly in front of their home fans by overhauling New Zealand on the final leg of the four-person event, with each team consisting of two male and two female triathletes all undertaking a 200 metre swim followed by a 6.6 kilometre bike and a 1.6km run.

But, with several top performers unlikely to compete, the host nation will be hard pushed to repeat their triumph this time around, with Germany having also been beaten by Italy for the European title last month in Kitzbuhel.

Great Britain are set to pose probably the toughest challenge, with a team likely to consist of Olympic and European champion Alistair Brownlee and former world champions Jonathan Brownlee and Helen Jenkins. 

With the composition of each team yet to be confirmed, many other nations could potentially challenge, including New Zealand, the United States and Australia.

Dark horses for the annual event, first held in 2009 and now attracting 20 nations, could be Spain following the superb performances this year by Javier Gómez and Mario Mola in the ITU World Series, although they will be markedly less strong in the female race. 

But history is on the side of the Germans, as mixed relay titles seem to come in pairs with Switzerland having clenched wins in 2009 and 2010, followed by British triumphs in 2011 and 2012.

It could be a particularly golden day for Germany considering the race will be followed by the FIFA World Cup Final in Brazil.

A British team including Olympic gold and bronze medal winners Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee will be tough to beat ©Getty ImagesA British team including Olympic gold and bronze medal winners Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee will be tough to beat ©Getty Images




The race will take place alongside the World Triathlon Hamburg elite and age group races, which has earned the title of "World's Biggest Triathlon" due to the 11,000 athletes that will compete in the mass participation events.

It will also serve as an important tune-up for those nations competing in Glasgow at the end of the month where mixed relay will debut at the Commonwealth Games.

But, in addition to being a competitive test, it will be another opportunity for the ITU to illustrate the potential of an event it hopes to add to the Olympic programme at some point in the future. 

This comes after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last year decided not to add the event to the triathlon programme for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, something described at the time as only a "temporary setback" by ITU President Marisol Casado. 

"Hamburg is an ideal spot for the Mixed Relay World Championships," Casado, also an IOC member, said ahead of this year's event. 

"It's the location of the world's biggest triathlon, with huge crowds on hand to watch the races.

"Mixed Relay is such a crowd pleaser with its constant lead changes, which will be the perfect way for Germany to kick off an exciting day of sports."