It made for a great picture, a great headline and a pretty great story too last year at the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon. All through the course, the world’s leading triathletes, the Brownlee brothers, hung by each other, having built up a comfortable lead on the rest of the field.
By the time of the 10km-run, they were five minutes ahead of the rest and had zero seconds between them. Neither one kicked on, despite Alistair looking more haggard than Jonny.
Instead, as the final few metres approached, the brothers unfurled a Yorkshire flag and crossed the line together, a nice choreographed touch to proceedings. It is something they had done before, even on tour events, which Abu Dhabi at the time was not.
At an invitational, or exhibition event, even in as gruelling a discipline as the triathlon, the gesture did not feel out of place.
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But at a competitive event, with points at stake? It is unlikely to be repeated this year, however, and not only because Alistair may not be at the event. This year the Abu Dhabi Triathlon is not an exhibition event — it is the opening race of the International Triathlon Union’s (ITU) World Series.
It will be the first of ten races through the year, across the world in Auckland, the Gold Coast, Cape Town, London and Chicago among others and a vital first step for triathletes beginning preparations for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
As it turns out, the plan all along in Abu Dhabi was to graduate the triathlon from an exhibition event to a formal part of the circuit.
“Our strategy was always to make this a tour event, that is a target of Abu Dhabi always for any event,” said Talal Al Hashemi, the technical affairs director at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC). It is ADSC who have taken over the running of the event from Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, which had run it, with success, for the last five years.
The agreement with the ITU is to stage the event here for the next five years. As much as it is an opportunity for Abu Dhabi to showcase its potential as an international outdoor sporting venue, it is also a strategic step outward by the ITU.
Abu Dhabi will not only become the first venue in the Middle East to host an official ITU event, it will also be, after Yokohama, only the second venue in all of Asia to do so.
“It is very important to us that everyone around the world has the opportunity to compete in triathlons,” an ITU spokesperson said. “Abu Dhabi is integral in the sport’s expansion in the Middle East because of its location and its resources.
The ability to host an international sporting event outside of an indoor arena, Al Hashemi pointed out, was also important for Abu Dhabi. And though the question of climate comes up every year the triathlon comes to town, March has always provided near-ideal conditions.
“The weather and time of year is very important in when we can organise a triathlon,” the ITU spokesperson said. “It’s quite complicated to fit eight to 10 races into the year with varying weather patterns.
“We also have to consider giving athletes ample off-season to recover and train. That said, March was an ideal time for athletes to do an early sprint race to test their winter training, and traditionally hasn’t been so hot in that time of year that it would be dangerous for athletes.”
The switch has been seamless, with cosmetic changes to the nature of the course the only aspect people are likely to notice. It has been redesigned, in line with ITU logistical requirements, to make it more spectator-friendly.
More than before, when it stretched to as far as the Yas Marina circuit, the entire race will be centred around the Corniche. Participation remains as high — 600 triathletes, including the world’s best, from outside the UAE will take part and nearly 1600 altogether. And it is unlikely there will be a joint winner.
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War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Poacher
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Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Fixtures (all in UAE time)
Friday
Everton v Burnley 11pm
Saturday
Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur 3.30pm
West Ham United v Southampton 6pm
Wolves v Fulham 6pm
Cardiff City v Crystal Palace 8.30pm
Newcastle United v Liverpool 10.45pm
Sunday
Chelsea v Watford 5pm
Huddersfield v Manchester United 5pm
Arsenal v Brighton 7.30pm
Monday
Manchester City v Leicester City 11pm
Company%C2%A0profile
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
