Ahead of the ninth Edmonton World Cup, elite athletes including Australia’s Erin Densham and Peter Kerr, as well as Canada’s Andrew Mccartney, Ellen Pennock and Kyle Jones met with media on a beautiful, sunny day at Hawrelak Park to discuss this weekend’s sprint race.

Kyle Jones
On his history racing in Edmonton
“Edmonton has been a special place in my career. I’ve been able to develop through this race. Last year, winning was huge. It’s a great opportunity for young Canadians. It’s the only opportunity for us to race at this level at home we can compete in. For our young guys to be able to come out here and compete with this international field, we have an Olympic medallist here, is important.”

On Edmonton hosting the Grand Final next year
“Not a lot of athletes get the chance to compete in a Grand Final at home. For us to host the championship is huge. For the young guys coming up just coming out and watching and to showcase our sport to the country. We have a young team now. Everyone’s heard of Simon and the success he’s had. Now we have a young crop of kids coming up, new faces. I think you’re going to see a lot of great performances. It’s going to be fun for me to be a part of that.”

Erin Densham
On her Olympic bronze and 2012 season
“I was injured at the end of 2011 and was pretty much written off from there. I had to come out and win and I didn’t know what kind of form I was in. To come out and to win at those two races, was fantastic. I think trying to hold that form all year was just too hard. I was super excited to come away with a bronze medal because I was starting to slide by that stage. It was a big year, my most successful to date. I was really happy and it was important to know how to perform on any one day. The World Series is a bit different. If i do nothing else but come out and win in let’s say London, yea, I’ll be stoked.”

On qualifying for Commonwealth Games
“I’d like to qualify for the team nice and early so I can actually prepare for the major race. You never know what’s going to happen. You just have to take what you’re given. I’ll aim to make the team in London, but if that doesn’t happen, I’ll just have to do what I did last year I guess and come out early and race hard to try to make the team again.”

Peter Kerr
On his strong race form this year
“I attribute a lot of that to an attitude change and a bit of a training change. There was a confidence level I brought from winning a few triathlons. I didn’t expect to win but had hoped to. But when that happened, it brought a whole new level of race confidence. That makes such a difference because I guess we are all training similar hours, we are all riding the top equipment. So it comes down to how your mental status is.”

Ellen Pennock
On racing in Edmonton
“Edmonton has been a really important place and really special in my heart. I swam and ran championships here. I learned how to transitions in this field right here. It’s kinda cool with thins new era of triathletes coming up in Canada. We can kick start our road to Rio here in Edmonton, especially for me being from Alberta.”

Andrew Mccartney
On his top 10 performance in Yokohama
“It was a big sigh of relief. It had been 10 years in the making. I’ve had my setback with injuries in 2008 and 2010. I’ve been injury free for two and a half years. To put it all together on the big stage was important. Hopefully it kinda keeps it snow balling and creates a lot of confidence going forward.”