TORONTO (CP) -- Carol Montgomery of North Vancouver and Sharon Donnelly of Kingston, Ont., lead the four-person team Triathlon Canada has nominated for the Sydney Games, where the sport will make its Olympic debut.

  They are joined by Isabelle Turcotte-Baird of Quebec City and Simon Whitfield of Victoria.

  All four have met the Triathlon Canada, International Triathlon Union and Canadian Olympic Association qualifying standards over the last 12 to 24 months. But they still have to be formally named to the Canadian team by the COA.

  The women's triathlon event, which includes a 1.5-kilometre swim, 40-kilometre cycle, and 10-kilometre run, will be the first medal awarded at the Games.

  The three women Canada has qualified is the maximum permitted.

  Montgomery, a five-time Canadian champion, has won two silvers and a bronze at the world championships. She was runner-up to Donnelly at the 1999 Pan American Games.

  Montgomery has also met the standard for the 10,000 metres in track.

  Whitfield was a bronze medallist at the Pan Am Games.