For the eighth time in World Triathlon Series history, elites head back to Japan to compete in the 2017 ITU World Triathlon Yokohama. Mario Mola, Andrea Hewitt, Ai Ueda and Jumpei Furuya chatted with the press ahead of the race of the new bike course, the season ahead and the upcoming Olympics.

Andrea Hewitt
On the new bike course:
I’m very excited to race here. I just arrived yesterday so I haven’t had the chance of doing the new bike course yet, but I’ve raced here a few times in the last years and is always a fun course.

On the upcoming Olympics:
Tokyo is still three years away so I’m concentrated on this season. The season is going pretty well, I already won two races, so I’m excited and concentrated on this season now. This is a good opportunity for me.

Mario Mola
On the new bike course:
I didn’t have the chance of doing the new bike course yet, but I’m sure that is going to be a really nice one. I’ve raced a couple of times here in Yokohama before. We just need to be a bit careful if the course is wet because of the rain.

On the Tokyo 2020 Olympics ahead:
The Olympics are three years ahead, so even tho time goes by quick, I’m just focused on this season and to fight for the world title. Olympics are a great motivation, but I’m concentrated right now on every single race and this season. The Tokyo 2002 Olympics will be great, and this country has a very special atmosphere for triathlon, so I’m sure it’s going to be amazing, but I’m trying to concentrate on this season now.

On racing against Jonny Brownlee for the first tie after the Cozumel Grand Final:
Jonny is a great athlete, and is great to have him racing again. He is one of the best on our sport, and is great to have him back. Having Jonny racing in Yokohama means that we will have a great show. I expect a very tough race, as usual, but this is always a challenge. I really look forward racing with him again.

On if this season would be more difficult for Jonny if Alistair is not racing with him:
The fact of not having his brother racing next to him, we will see how affects him and if it has an impact on the race. But both of them, as Javi, are athletes that when they race they try to win, so we will see how not racing both will affect his racing, if any.

Ai Ueda
On racing in Yokohama an her own country:
I want to thank the city of Yokohama for this fantastic setting and organizing this race in Japan. With the Olympics coming up in 2020 in Tokyo, this is an energy booster for us.

On the upcoming Olympics in Japan:
After finishing Rio 2016 and finishing the 2016 WTS season in third place, racing the WTS is an honor for me. It’s an honor to race always, and the Olympics is also an amazing experience. To be able to share moments with all those athletes, to race with them, is always a great experience.

On the new bike course:
It has many U turns and corners, so for me I really like it, because you can know where are the girls directly behind or ahead of you and take some references. For me the course is great, perfect for doing a break. The swim exit is going to be the most dificult area so it’s going to be very important who comes out of the water first.

Jumpei Furuya
On racing in Yokohama:
I am really looking forward to the race, the only WTS we have in Japan. I want to do my best for the audience from Japan.

On the Tokyo 2020 Olympics:
After Rio I’ve been doing races in different countries and places and my plan is to keep doing that in order to get as many ranking points as I can. Tokyo 2020 Olympics is a dream for me and I really want to train hard to get there.

On the new bike course:
I wasn’t able to test the course yet, but I like. Around the brick area there are a lot of turns so it’s going to be a fun bike course. We will try the new course tomorrow during the bike familiarization and we will have the chance to see the areas where we need to be more careful, because it might be wet on Saturday, but we will try our best.