IM 70.3 2014 season begins
The first major Ironman 70.3 competition of the 2014 season begins January 19 at the Asian Pacific Championship in Auckland and will feature a high quality field earning points for the 2014 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Mt. Tremblant, Canada.
This will be the second straight time Auckland has hosted the Asia Pacific Championship and will offer a NZ $90,000 pro purse and 1,500 Ironman 70.3 qualifying points for the winners.
The 30-man men’s field includes 3-time Ironman World Champion and 2-time Ironman 70.3 World Champion Craig Alexander of Australia, 2008 Olympic champion Jan Frodeno of Germany, 2-time Olympic medalist and 2004 ITU World Champion Bevan Docherty of New Zealand, multiple duathlon world champion Paul Amey of Great Britain, 2008 Ironman 70.3 World Champion and current Ironman 70.3 World Championship silver medalist Terenzo Bozzone of New Zealand and recent Port of Tauranga Half winner Cameron Brown, a 10-time Ironman New Zealand champion.
The field includes 18 winners at the 70.3 distance last year including Bozzone (4), Alexander (3), and 2-time winners Docherty, 2013 Auckland 70.3 defending champ Christian Kemp, Courtney Atkinson and Richie Cunningham.
The Asia Pacific Championship men’s field includes current Ironman 70.3 rankings men’s ranking point leader Bozzone, 5th-ranked Aussie Tim Reed, 8th-ranked Aussie Tim Van Berkel, 23rd-ranked Callum Millward of New Zealand and 89th ranked Alexander.
Alexander has reportedly moved his focus away from Ironman to the 70.3 distance. “I always considered 70.3 to be my best distance,” he told Ironman.com. “But once you are doing Ironman in Hawaii as the main focus, it basically dominates the year.” Alexander started his career on the ITU Olympic distance circuit and raced the Auckland World Cup in 1999.
“I have heard the course in Auckland is challenging and spectacular, with the athletes having to ride over the Harbour Bridge,” said Alexander. “I am hopeful my form for the race will be very good. Apart from being a much earlier start to my season than normal, I have trained well but I started back to training much earlier than I normally would to prepare.”
Frodeno won the Olympic men’s title at Beijing in 2008 and was 6th at London last year. In his first season focusing on the middle distance, Frodeno finished 2nd at the prestigious 2013 Ironman 70.3 European Championship at Wiesbaden.
The women’s field is not quite as deep but has several shining 70.3 stars including defending champion and current Ironman 70.3 bronze medalist Annabel Luxford of Australia, recent Port of Tauranga Half winner and 4-time duathlon world champion Catriona Morrison of Scotland, 2008 ITU World championship bronze medalist, 2-time Olympian and 2011 Ironman New Zealand winner Samantha Warriner of New Zealand, 7-time Ironman New Zealand winner and home country favorite Jo Lawn, 3-time Olympian Kiyomi Niwata of Japan and current Ironman Australia champion Rebecca Hoschke.
Women’s 2014 Ironman 70.3 points leaders include Luxford (2nd) and Morrison (5th).
Lawn, who was born in Auckland, will be racing in her home city for the first time.
“My father and my mother live basically on the course and we live so close to it but I’ve never raced a triathlon in Auckland,” Lawn told Ironman.com. “I’ve never ever been over the Harbour Bridge except in a car. How awesome is that going to be! I am scared of heights so I am not sure what it will be like but I am sure it will be spectacular and I will definitely take in the view.”
Lawn, who recently turned 40, had a strong 70.3 season last year with a 2nd at St. Croix, 3rd at Florida, 4th at New Orleans and 15th at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Las Vegas.
Warriner, who won Ironman 70.3 Cairns last year, has been battling a hamstring injury but is determined to be at the start line of this home country test. “I have missed out on racing at home a few times, so to compete in the 70.3 in Auckland is very special and nothing will stop me,” Warriner told Ironman.com. “To be able to race in front of friends and family makes this injury all the more frustrating. I have not run for six weeks now but on the plus side, my swimming and biking have come up well.”
This weekend, the highly regarded Herbalife Ironman 70.3 Pucon on a beautiful, challenging course in Chile will kick off the 70.3 season. The 2013 Pucon champions Reinaldo Colucci of Brazil and Valentina Carvalho of Chile are expected to defend.
