Australian triathlete Tim Reed will face formidable international opposition and a rival from his own coaching stable in Sunday's 70.3 world championships.
Reed is among the title contenders for the 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and 21.1km run event at Zell am See in Austria.
It will be the first time that the 70.3, or half-Ironman, worlds have been held outside the United States.
Australia has a strong record at this race, with Craig Alexander winning the first edition in 2006 and doubling up in 2011.
Mirinda Carfrae won the women's world title in 2007 and Melissa Hauschildt took it out in 2011-13.
But Alexander has scaled back his racing, while Carfrae and Hauschildt are preparing for the October Hawaiian Ironman world championships.
Reed, Sam Appleton and Joe Gambles are the main Australians to watch after strong form this year in half-Ironman races.
To finish on the podium, they will have to overcome a field led by reigning 70.3 world champion Javier Gomez (Spain), reigning Hawaiian Ironman world champion Sebastian Kienle and fellow German Jan Frodeno, the 2008 Olympic gold medallist.
Reed coaches Appleton, but in June the apprentice showed up his master.
Appleton won the Cairns 70.3 and Reed was third.
Reed, who finished fifth at the 70.3 worlds last year, has prepared carefully for this edition and is rated a strong chance if he can keep with the leaders in the swim.
"I've learned that to be in absolute peak condition you can't train hard all year," Reed said in a media release.
"So my season was structured to really target some of the major 70.3 events through to March and then switch to less and more laid-back training through to July.
"From July it's been very disciplined and intense to bring me up to peak shape for the 70.3 worlds."
Defending champion Swiss Daniela Ryf is the woman to beat, while Jodie Swallow (Great Britain) and Heather Wurtele (Canada) want to improve on last year's podium finishes.
Katy Duffield is the main Australian women's hope.
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