The 22-year-old will contest round three of the World Triathlon Series in Yokohama, the Japanese city where he announced himself in 2015.

Birtwhistle was making his WTS debut having just emerged from the junior ranks when he produced his best performance to date on the international stage with a top ten finish.

He has since gone on to become an under-23 world champion and last month became the first Australian to qualify for next year’s Commonwealth Games courtesy of his fifth place finish in the last round on the Gold Coast.

The former Riverside High student returns to Japan in an Australian team which also features Wollongong Wizards clubmate Ryan Bailie plus Drew Box, Marcel Walkington and youngster Matt Roberts.

Birtwhistle finished behind defending world champion Mario Mola (Spain), Richard Murray (South Africa), Fernando Alarza (Spain) and five-time ITU world champion Javier Gomez (Spain) on the Gold Coast.

He will face the same top-quality quartet in Yokohama as well as Rio Olympic silver and bronze medallists Jonny Brownlee (GB) and Henri Schoeman (South Africa) in a steaming hot field.

After Birtwhistle claimed the first Commonwealth Games nomination, two more are up for grabs with the next automatic nomination available in the Hamburg WTS round on July 15.

Saturday’s men’s race is at 2pm.