For the first time since the inception of the KPMG Bermuda Invitational Women’s Elite Mile someone other than Kenia Sinclair will be crowned champion.The defending champion has been ruled out through back injury, leaving others to contest her vacant title this year in her absence.“Kenia is the defending champion and you always look to them to be around. But she is injured and so she’s not going to be here,” confirmed Bermuda Marathon Weekend race director Anthony Raynor.The Jamaican has won every Women’s Elite Mile race since the event began in 2009.Sinclair won the inaugural race in a time of four minutes, 44 seconds after withstanding a gruelling battle with Ethiopia’s Aziza Aliyu and then shaved nine-tenths of a second off her record time en route to successfully defending her title in 2010.She then completed a hat-trick of titles in last year’s race after conquering the field in a record time of 4:33.6.Raynor acknowledged that Sinclair’s presence will be missed.“I think the only thing that’s lacking is the familiarity with the public after her (Sinclair) winning it a few times,” he said. “People have become familiar with the name and face.“But one way or the other I think it’s still going to be an exciting race.”Sinclair, who is regarded as one of her country’s greatest 800 metres runners, is an IAAF World Indoor Championship and Commonwealth Games silver medallist who has also broken the barriers of Jamaican female middle distance running.In 2008, she represented Jamaica at the Beijing Olympics, placing sixth in the 800m final with a season’s best time of 1:58.24.Among the pre-race favourites to lay claim to Sinclair’s vacant crown is Korene Hinds last year’s runner up who said she will not be taking anything for granted in her compatriot’s absence.“I’m not going to underestimate any of the other competitors but the goal is to try and go out there an win and take advantage of not having the defending champion here,” she said. “The goal is to go out there and compete and hopefully it’s a successful one. But I’m not going to rule out the competitors.”Raynor is among those who have high expectations for the 2012 Olympic hopeful ahead of tonight’s Women’s Elite Mile race.“I think having been here the last couple of years Korene Hinds should be most familiar with the course and the dynamics of the event,” he said. “I would think that she would be the one to be looking at right now.”Hinds, who finished third in the inaugural Elite Women’s Mile behind Sinclair and Aziza, is also the defending 10K champion having won last year’s event in a time of 33:56.Making their debut this year are Mardrea Heyman (Jamaica) and Jeanna Composti (USA) who are also capable of mounting a strong challenge for top honours in the Women’s Elite Mile.Unlike Sinclair, Kenya’s Philip Lagat is back to defend his Men’s Elite Mile crown but could find his work cut out for him in the form of Canada’s Tim Konova.