Georgia Taylor-Brown, left, and Flora Duffy, right, at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. EPA
Georgia Taylor-Brown, left, and Flora Duffy, right, at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. EPA
Georgia Taylor-Brown, left, and Flora Duffy, right, at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. EPA
Georgia Taylor-Brown, left, and Flora Duffy, right, at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. EPA

Olympic stars to face off at World Triathlon Finals in Abu Dhabi


Amith Passela
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An intense battle is on the cards when Flora Duffy and Georgia Taylor-Brown fight it out for the women’s crown in the Abu Dhabi World Triathlon Finals on Yas Island on Friday.

Duffy, the Bermudian gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, and Britain's Taylor-Brown, whom she beat for that victory, go into the final race of the world championship series with three wins apiece.

A similar scenario awaits in Saturday’s men’s event between Briton Alex Lee and New Zealander Hayden Wilde, who shared the podium with gold medalist Kristian Blummenfelt of Norway at the Tokyo Games.

Aref Al Awani, general secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said they are delighted to host the World Triathlon Championship Finals.

“This further endorses Abu Dhabi as a growing epicentre for world sport, having already hosted the NBA, UFC, F1 and world championship boxing in recent weeks,” Al Awani said at the launch ceremony of the event on Wednesday.

“We wish all athletes competing the absolute best of luck and look forward to some incredible competition.”

From left, Stuart Leatherby, HE Excellency Aref Awani, Marisol Casado, Khaled Al Fahim, Hana Al Nabulsi, Sharon Bayon, Hayden Wilde, and Jetze Plat ahead of the upcoming Abu Dhabi World Triathlon Finals at Abu Dhabi Sports Council. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
From left, Stuart Leatherby, HE Excellency Aref Awani, Marisol Casado, Khaled Al Fahim, Hana Al Nabulsi, Sharon Bayon, Hayden Wilde, and Jetze Plat ahead of the upcoming Abu Dhabi World Triathlon Finals at Abu Dhabi Sports Council. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

At the finals, the top 10 triathletes will assemble in both the men’s and women’s elite races.

Marisol Casado, president of World Triathlon and IOC board member, said: “The excitement around the event as incredible and reflects the quality of the fields in places across elite, age group, and para categories.

“The world’s best will be in Abu Dhabi. We cannot wait to crown the champions here on Yas Island.”

Khaled Al Fahim, president of UAE Triathlon, described the World Triathlon Championship Finals as not only wonderful for Abu Dhabi, but the UAE.

“Our Team UAE triathletes will get the opportunity to compete against the world’s best, on home soil, which is an incredible experience. We will also have hundreds of community athletes competing on the same stage as the biggest names in the world."

Meanwhile, the world’s best para triathletes will go head-to-head on Thursday morning. All eyes will no doubt be on Netherlands’ Jetze Plan, who has gone undefeated in World Triathlon events since 2016.

Other world-class para triathletes include USA’s Allysa Seely and Kendal Gretsch, Great Britain’s four-time Paralympian Lauren Steadman, and Spanish four-time world champion in paratriathlon and Paralympic gold medalist Susana Rodriguez Gacio.

The three-day event has drawn 80 international federations, showing the incredible strength and reach of the sport.

The opening day on Thursday will see the World Triathlon Para Championships and World Triathlon Age-Group Super-Sprint Championships.

The Under-23 Championship takes place on Friday and Saturday is a bumper day which will see champions crowned across the Open Para Triathlon Mixed Relay, the Age-Group Standard Championships World Championships, and the Aquabike Age-Group World Championships.

Community triathletes are also expected to take part this week, with a kids and junior event on Friday, and age-group community races taking place on the final day.

Hana Al Nabulsi, UAE Age Group World Championship athlete, ahead of the Abu Dhabi World Triathlon Finals. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Hana Al Nabulsi, UAE Age Group World Championship athlete, ahead of the Abu Dhabi World Triathlon Finals. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Profile

Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari

Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.

Number of employees: Over 50

Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised

Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital 

Sector of operation: Transport

Fight card

Bantamweight

Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) v Rey Nacionales (PHI)

Lightweight

Alexandru Chitoran (ROM) v Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR)

Catch 74kg

Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) v Omar Hussein (JOR)

Strawweight (Female)

Weronika Zygmunt (POL) v Seo Ye-dam (KOR)

Featherweight

Kaan Ofli (TUR) v Walid Laidi (ALG)

Lightweight

Leandro Martins (BRA) v Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW)

Welterweight

Ahmad Labban (LEB) v Sofiane Benchohra (ALG)

Bantamweight

Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR)

Lightweight

Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Glen Ranillo (PHI)

Lightweight

Alan Omer (GER) v Aidan Aguilera (AUS)

Welterweight

Mounir Lazzez (TUN) Sasha Palatnikov (HKG)

Featherweight title bout

Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR)

EXPATS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lulu%20Wang%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nicole%20Kidman%2C%20Sarayu%20Blue%2C%20Ji-young%20Yoo%2C%20Brian%20Tee%2C%20Jack%20Huston%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Facility’s Versatility

Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
 
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
 
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
 
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
 
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
 
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket

Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15

Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered

UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered

Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered

Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered

Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered

Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered

Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

Winners

Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski

Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)

Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea

Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona

Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)

Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)

Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)

Best National Team of the Year: Italy 

Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello

Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)

Player Career Award: Ronaldinho

The Energy Research Centre

Founded 50 years ago as a nuclear research institute, scientists at the centre believed nuclear would be the “solution for everything”.
Although they still do, they discovered in 1955 that the Netherlands had a lot of natural gas. “We still had the idea that, by 2000, it would all be nuclear,” said Harm Jeeninga, director of business and programme development at the centre.
"In the 1990s, we found out about global warming so we focused on energy savings and tackling the greenhouse gas effect.”
The energy centre’s research focuses on biomass, energy efficiency, the environment, wind and solar, as well as energy engineering and socio-economic research.

SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2-litre%204-cylinder%20petrol%20(V%20Class)%3B%20electric%20motor%20with%2060kW%20or%2090kW%20powerpack%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20233hp%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20204hp%20(EQV%2C%20best%20option)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20350Nm%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20TBA%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMid-2024%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETBA%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained

Defined Benefit Plan (DB)

A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.

Defined Contribution Plan (DC) 

A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.

Updated: November 23, 2022, 6:16 PM`