As the 2012 ITU season closes the curtain on one of its most exciting years of competition to date, we take a look back at the images captured during the ITU World Triathlon Series. Choose the 2012 ITU Photo of the Year.

The 2012 ITU World Triathlon Series season is a wrap. As we close the series that traveled across eight cities and four continents, check out these highlights from the past week in Auckland

A record number of athletes helped to put the 2012 ITU Age-Group World Championships in the International Triathlon Union history books, in an action packed day in Auckland on Monday.

After crowning the 2012 ITU Triathlon World Champions with thrilling races this past weekend, the International Triathlon Union (ITU) today announced the schedule for the 2013 ITU World Triathlon Series

Javier Gomez and Jonathan Brownlee collided in a phenomenal showdown for the 2012 ITU World Championship today. Gomez got the gold but Brownlee did enough to keep the world title in the family

South Africa's Wian Sullwald added another highlight to an already history making day in Auckland, when he outran France's Simon Viain and Ireland's Constantine Doherty to claim the 2012 ITU Junior Men's World Championship.

Fumika Matsumoto dominated torrid conditions to become the first ITU World Champion from Japan, beating France's Leonie Periault and the USA’s Tamara Gordon to win the 2012 ITU Junior Women's world title in Auckland

Aaron Royle's plan played out to perfection as the Australian waited until the last moment to win the 2012 ITU Under23 World Championship, ahead of Spain's Fernando Alarza and Great Britain's Thomas Bishop.

Germany's Anne Haug put the finishing touches on a breakthrough season with a victory in Auckland today, claiming the Grand Final. Lisa Norden was crowned the 2012 ITU World Champion

Great Britain's Non Stanford put in her most impressive performance when it counted, to claim the 2012 ITU Under23 World Championship ahead of the Netherlands Sarissa De Vries and Canada's Joanna Brown.