Bracht, Bremer tops at Busso

Timo Bracht of Germany came from 9 minutes back off the bike to take the lead with 10k to go and hit the line in 8:12:39 with a 6:23 margin over early race leader Clayton Fettell.

Fettell’s race-best 45:11 swim and 4:25:25 bike opened up a 9 minutes margin over six-time Ironman winner Bracht, who started with a 49:43 swim and 4:30:17 bike. But after 25k of his race-best 2:48:42 run, Bracht wrested the lead from Fettell, who finished in 8:19:02 with an 8:29 margin over third place finisher Jason Shortis, who made up for a 53:05 swim and 4:40:01 bike with a second-best 2:49:58 marathon.

"Australia is a great triathlon nation and it’s very special to win here,” Bracht emailed Slowtwitch. “I will remember this day for a lifetime because the duels with Australians are legendary and winning them is even more legendary. Furthermore it was my last race in Commerzbank colors, what gave me even more motivation. This great partnership deserved a great final today."

Fettell was enthusiastic after his runner-up finish. “I have had to overcome a lot of injuries, including multiple stress fractures, and training 40 hours a week, so to get this result makes it all worth it,” Fettell told Ironmanlive media. “I got to the 17 km mark and felt I was gone, but just as Timo passed me and [offered some] encouraging words, I came good and felt comfortable throughout the rest of the marathon.”

Jason Shortis, the previous course record holder who came third, was upbeat after enduring racelong winds and pushing through the rains that hit on the run. “It was a really tough race out there,” Shortis told Ironmanlive media. “I did not have a great swim and these are the toughest wind conditions I have experienced here.”

Michelle Bremer of New Zealand took charge of the women’s race with a race-best 5:00:37 bike and held on for the win with a 3:22:05 run against the fast-closing 3:08:31 marathon of Michelle Mitchell. Bremer finished in 9:25:38 and eked out a 2:29 margin of victory over Mitchell. Carrie Lester of Australia, who is still recovering from injuries suffered in a recent bike crash, took third, another 4:37 behind Mitchell.

Bremer was thrilled with her first major victory, but said she was reluctant to take advantage of her likely Kona qualification so early in her career. “I only began doing Ironman four years ago on a social basis,” the 28-year-old told Ironmanlive. “I would like to go to Kona, but not for a couple of years. I just have to get some experience under my belt.”

Mitchell led out of the swim, lost time on the bike, but found her running legs and made up all but 2:29 with a race-best run. Mitchell told Ironmanlive she did her first Ironman at the beginning of the year and with this, her fourth, she was looking forward to a break.

Sunsmart Ironman Western Australia
Busselton, Western Australia
December 4, 2011
S 2.4 mi. / B 112 mi. / R 26.2 mi.

Results

Men

1. Timo Bracht (GER) 8:12:39
2. Clayton Fettell (AUS) 8:19:02
3. Jason Shortis (AUS) 8:27:31
4. Josh Rix (AUS) 8:30:59
5. Aaron Farlow (AUS) 8:34:05
6. Petr Vabrousek (CZE) 8:35:08
7. Mitchell Anderson (AUS) 8:35:57
8. Simon Billeau (FRA) 8:38:06
9. Luke Whitmore (AUS) 8:54:35
10. Maik Twelsiek (GER) 8:56:10
11. Luke McKenzie (AUS) 9:03:44
12. Leon Griffin (AUS) 9:03:49

Women

1. Michelle Bremer (NZL) 9:25:38
2. Michelle Mitchell (AUS) 9:28:07
3. Carrie Lester (AUS) 9:32:44
4. Elly Franks (AUS) 9:37:51
5. Hillary Biscay (USA) 9:39:41
6. Kate Bevilaqua (AUS) 9:43:37
7. Yvette Grice (GBR) 9:53:33
8. Caitlin Bridgland (AUS) 9:57:25 * F25-29
9. Emi Shiono (JPN) 10:00:23
10. Michelle Boyes (AUS) 10:00:42 * F40-44