Anne Haug dominates Ironman Copenhagen
Anne Haug of Germany won the Ironman Copenhagen pro women’s crown in the race record time of 8:31:32, which gave her a 17:51 margin of victory over Camilla Pedersen of Denmark and 31:17 over fellow Dane and 3rd place finisher Maja Stage Nielsen.
An initial check of women’s fastest times in Ironman brand events finds that Haug’s time was 3rd best ever, behind Daniela Ryf’s 8:26:15 at the Ironman World Championship last year and Melissa Hauschildt’s 8:31:05 at the 2018 edition of the Ironman North America Championship in Texas.
Including Challenge Roth women’s-best marks, Haug’s Copenhagen time was the 7th-fastest women's mark at the distance, after Chrissie Wellington’s 8:18:13 at Roth in 2011, Wellington’s 8:19:13 at Roth in 2010, Daniela Ryf’s 8:22:04 at Roth in 2016 and Lucy Charles-Barclay’s 8:31:09 at Roth this year – in addition to Ryf’s time at Kona last year and Hauschildt’s 2018 mark in Texas.
Haug’s exemplary performance at the pro women-only Ironman Copenhagen served to validate her 2019 Kona qualification to back up her 3rd place finish in her Big Island debut last year. Haug planned to validate at the Ironman European Championship at Frankfurt earlier this summer but she did not compete due to an injury.
Haug combined a 2nd-fastest 51:04 swim split which left her 2 seconds behind Pedersen, a women’s-best and course record 4:37:28 bike split, which gave her a 1:06 lead on Pedersen at T2. A women’s by-far best 2:57:26 marathon brought her to the line in 8:31:32 with a 17:51 margin of victory over Pedersen, who closed with a women’s 3rd-best 3:14:48 run split, and 31:17 margin over 3rd place Maja Stage Nielsen.
Angela Naeth of Canada finished 4th, 5:10 behind Nielsen, and 6:33 ahead of 5th place Michelle Vesterby, a home country favorite competing just 3 months after childbirth.
Ironman Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark
August 18, 2019
S 2.4 mi. / B 112 mi. / R 26.2 mi.
Results
Women
1. Anne Haug (GER) 8:31:32 S 51:04 T1 2:49 B 4:37:28 T2 2:47 R 2:57:26:
2. Camilla Pedersen (DEN) 8:49:23 S 51:02 T1 2:10 B 4:39:14 T2 2:11 R 3:14:48
3. Maja Stage Nielsen (DEN) 9:02:49 S 54:27 T1 2:44 B 4:51:03 T2 2:25 R 3:12:12
4. Angela Naeth (CAN) 9:07:28 S 59:57 T1 N/A B 4:47:55 T2 2:02 R 3:16:22
5. Michelle Vesterby (DEN) 9:09:22 S 54:29 T1 2:32 B 4:43:04 T2 2:12 R 3:27:08
