Von Berg, Sodaro win 70.3 South American Champs
Rodolphe Von Berg and Chelsea Sodaro lead U.S. sweep of the Ironman 70.3 South American Championship at Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Men
Von Berg emerged from a tight duel with Pablo Dapena Gonzalez of Spain and Igor Amorelli of Brazil with a race-best 1:10:56 half marathon that brought him to the finish in 3:37:36 with a 1:08 margin of victory over Dapena Gonzalez and 5:50 over 3rd place finisher Amorelli.
Dapena Gonzalez combined a second-best 23:03 swim, 3rd-fastest 2:01:09 bike split which put him 4 seconds behind bike leader Von Berg at T2, and a 3rd best 1:11:54 run split that brought him to the finish in 3:38:44.
Amorelli fashioned a 5th-best 23:08 swim that left him 6 seconds behind swim leader Martin Ulloa of Chile, a race-best 2:01:00 bike split that put him in 3rd place, six seconds behind Von Berg at T2, and a 5th best 1:16:29 half marathon that brought him to the line in 3:43:28.
Von Berg’s victory adds another bright mark to a stellar 2019 campaign which includes wins at St. George 70.3 and the Ironman 70.3 European Championship, 2nd at Oceanside 70.3 and 3rd places at Challenge the Championship and the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice.
Women
Sodaro overcame a 1:53 deficit after the swim with a women’s-best 2:16:14 bike split and a women’s second-fastest 1:19:33 half marathon to finish in 4:07:13 with a 10:15 margin of victory over Pamella Oliveira of Brazil and 10:26 over 3rd place finisher Tamara Jewett of Canada.
Sodaro, a former star runner and late blooming triathlete, added another win to a fast rising 70.3 career. In 2018 Sodaro scored a win at the Huatulco World Cup, 3rd at the Waco half-distance bike-run, and a win at the Indian Wells 70.3. This year she won Augusta 70.3 and Santa Rosa 70.3 and placed 4th at the Ironman 70.3 Worlds in Nice.
Ironman 70.3 South American Championship
Mar Del Plata, Argentina
November 3. 2019
S 1.2 mi. / B 56 mi. / R 13.1 mi.
Results
Men
1. Rodolphe Von Berg (USA) 3:37:36 S 23:06 T1 1:23 B 2:01:06 T2 1:06 R 1:10:56
2. Pablo Dapena Gonzalez (ESP) 3:38:44 S 23:03 T1 1:26 B 2:01:09 T2 1:13 R 1:11:54
3. Igor Amorelli (BRA) 3:43:28 S 23:07 T1 1:34 B 2:01:00 T2 1:19 R 1:16:29
4. Martin Ulloa (CHL) 3:45:49 S 23:01 T1 1:29 B 2:08:52 T2 1:10 R 1:11:19
5. Andre Lopes (BRA) 3:48:20 S 24:04 T1 1:28 B 2:07:55 T2 1:10 R 1:13:47
Women
1. Chelsea Sodaro (USA) 4:07:13 S 26:25 T1 1:43 B 2:18:14 T2 1:20 R 1:19:33
2. Pamella Oliveira (BRA) 4:17:28 S 24:34 T1 1:45 B 2:18:54 T2 1:21 R 1:30:55
3. Tamara Jewett (CAN) 4:17:39 S 28:23 T1 2:16 B 2:27:41 T2 1:27 R 1:17:55
4. Rachel Olson (USA) 4:22:17 S 24:33 T1 1:54 B 2:26:40 T2 1:28 R 1:27:44
5. Romina Palacio (ARG) 4:29:23 S 27:32 T1 1:38 B 2:32:01 T2 1:17 R 1:26:27
