MS Amlin World Triathlon Bermuda will return to the island on April 28-29 next year after Flora Duffy’s sensational triumph 2½ months ago.

The International Triathlon Union announced its calendar for the 2019 World Triathlon Series yesterday, and Bermuda will play host to the second race of the season as part of a three-year deal to host races, with the Grand Final taking place in Lausanne, Switzerland from August 29 to September 1.

“It is always exciting to bring new host cities on board and to work with them to deliver new challenges and collectively raise the bar of what it takes to produce our top-tier WTS events,” the ITU said in a press release. “Bermuda did exactly that this year with a stunning course, and this year it will be the turn of Lausanne to showcase itself to the world of triathlon.

ITU president Marisol Casado said: “Triathlon is constantly evolving and growing, and it is important that we are able to bring our biggest events to new audiences. With each new venue and new territory, everybody, from athletes and coaches to LOCs and officials, learns and adapts, and that is healthy for our sport. At the same time, we are of course delighted to return to iconic venues such as Leeds and Hamburg. We are looking forward to delivering yet another thrilling year for the WTS during this Olympic qualifying cycle.”

For its eleventh season, the series will feature eight stops, getting under way once more in Abu Dhabi. From there, the action will move to Bermuda at the end of April, where the athletes will do battle with the infamous Corkscrew Hill for the second time.

The next stop will be Japan for one of the most established races on the circuit, Yokohama, before the focus shifts to Europe and the fourth edition of the AJ Bell World Triathlon Leeds. Then it heads to Montreal before Hamburg, where hundreds of thousands of spectators line the streets every year. The final stop before the Grand Final is in Edmonton’s Hawrelak Park.

“We are extremely excited to be able to announce the 2019 ITU World Triathlon Series cities and dates,” said Kris Gemmell, general manager of ITU World Triathlon Series. “We are already well under way with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifying cycle, and having these excellent venues and dates confirmed so far in advance gives each national federation the earliest opportunity to start their planning and begin preparations for a crucial 2019. The WTS continues to be our flagship series within ITU’s busy events calendar, and as we look forward to welcoming strong new host cities and more strong bids on the horizon, it is clear that the series is in a very good place right now.”

2019 ITU World Triathlon Series Calendar

World Triathlon Abu Dhabi March 8-9

MS Amlin World Triathlon Bermuda April 27-28

World Triathlon Yokohama May 18-19

AJ Bell World Triathlon Leeds June 8-9

World Triathlon Montreal June 29

Hamburg Wasser World Triathlon July 6-7

World Triathlon Edmonton July 20-21

ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Lausanne August 29–September 1