Triathlon: Dip in Manchester ship canal to test elite field

Triathlon, one of sport's toughest physical tests, made a stunning Olympic debut two years ago when the athletes swam 1.5 kilometres around Sydney Harbour, cycled 40km through the city's parks and ran 10km past landmarks such as the Opera House.

The event's first appearance at a Commonwealth Games will be marginally less photogenic – a dip in the Manchester ship canal, a ride around Salford Quays and a run that ends at the Lowry Centre – but the competition will be tough indeed.

England's chances will be spearheaded in the men's event by a veteran, Simon Lessing, and in the women's by a promising newcomer, Jodie Swallow. Lessing, the current British champion, is a five-times former world champion and three-times European title holder. He went to Sydney as a co-favourite and under-performed. In Manchester, where he won an international-class test event last summer, he wants redemption. England will also be looking for a solid show from Andrew Johns, who missed out on Sydney through flu. Swallow, 20, is joined in the England team by the European Champion, Michelle Dillon. Major challenges will come from Australia and Canada.

The leading Antipodeans include Peter Robertson, the 2001 world champion, and Michellie Jones and Loretta Harrop. Jones won silver in Sydney, Harrop is a former world champion and world No1. From Canada comes the Olympic champion Simon Whitfield, the likely favourite despite a bike accident in April that broke both his wrists and fractured his collarbone.