Tyler Butterfield will take on the world’s best on Sunday in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Butterfield will be hoping to better his result in the 2016 championships, where he finished 13th after being in contention for a podium finish off the bike. Last year his season was marred somewhat by injury and his run time of just over 1hr 16 min last year will need to be in the 1hr 10-12min range if he is to have a chance for a podium.

However, so far his season has gone well with a progressive improvement over the months, so he should be going into these championships with some cautious optimism but fully aware that each year there appear to be more and more genuine contenders for a podium spot.

To follow the race on Sunday go to: http://ap.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman-70.3/world-championship/results.aspx#axzz4riyj4Hon

n Husband and wife Stuart and Lea Osborne produced solid results in the recent Uster Triathlon near Zurich, Switzerland.

On a warm, humid and mainly overcast day Lea finished second in the sprint distance triathlon in the 55 to 64 age group in 1hr 23min 33sec with a 16:58 swim, 36:14 cycle and 24:50 run.

Stuart, also competing in the 55-64 age group, completed the Olympic distance in 2:43:22 for 23rd place. The swim was long and required the athletes to exit the water and run across a car park between laps. Stuart would have been thirrd in the 60-64 age group if five-year increments had been used. Stuart’s splits were 39:31, 1:10:45 and 48:39.

Both Lea and Stuart will be on the start line for Bermuda at the ITU Age Group World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands on the weekend of September 16th.

n Karen Smith is expected to be Bermuda’s sole age-group representative this Saturday at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, having qualified earlier in the year in Puerto Rico. She will compete in the 45-49 age group.

Smith will be hoping to emulate her performance at the 2014 full Ironman World Championships, in which she won her age group.

This will be the fourth time that she has raced at the 70.3 World Championships, with her best finish being second in her age group in 2008 in Clearwater, Florida where she finished in 4hr 32min over a fast course.

Smith raced again in Las Vegas in 2012, but in 104F (40C) temperatures she had bad leg cramps and was way down the field. Her last 70.3 Worlds was at Mout Tremblant in Quebec threee years ago, where she finished eighth.

More than 3,000 athletes, who qualified at another Ironman 70.3 event, will compete at this prestigious race. More than 130,000 athletes participate in a season of qualifying races for the championship, a series which consists of over 85 events in locations such as Australia, Germany, South Africa and Switzerland. Participants in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship will range in age from 18 to 75 plus and will represent over 70 countries.