No dominant force, a few key players missing, some usual favorites battling physical woes and many talented contenders make the Ironman World Championship women’s elite race maddeningly difficult to pick
by Tim Carlson, October 5, 2013
Taking on the impossible task of Ironman World Championship predictions once again, this humble prognosticator thinks that Eneko Llanos, Pete Jacobs and Andreas Raelert will go 1-2-3 atop the talented men’s pro field.
In the final week of September, we bring reports from around the globe including a World Cup in Spain, a French Grand Prix sprint final, an Ironman 70.3 from Georgia and the Los Angeles Triathlon.
Meredith Novack was looking for a personal challenge and found it with a quest to break a record for a round trip Lanai-Maui swim.
2013 Ironman Europe champion Camilla Pedersen of Denmark has been taken out of a medically induced coma 19 days after a bike crash during training in her home town of Esbjerg and is now breathing on her own.
On a fairly busy weekend, we have race reports from 70.3s in Provence and Cozumel, the inaugural Ironman Lake Tahoe, Rev3 Branson and Life Time Fitness Tempe.
Costa Rican Olympian Leonardo Chacon, in only his third XTERRA event, outran Josiah Middaugh to win the XTERRA USA Championship; Lesley Paterson outdueled Barbara Riveros-Diaz to repeat in Ogden.
The 19th edition of Terry Davis’s slice of triathlon heaven – The Triathlon at Pacific Grove – was won by Radka Vodickova and Tommy Zaferes on a mostly sunny Saturday. Photo Gallery by Timothy Carlson
Great Britain’s Non Stanford took the London Grand Final and the World Triathlon Series season title as series leader Gwen Jorgensen crashed out and second ranked Anne Haug emerged last from a slow swim.
USA’s Gorman wins Junior Women’s, France’s Coninx takes Junior Men’s, Australia’s McShane takes U23 Women’s and Pierre Le Corre won Under 23 Men’s titles at the ITU Worlds in London.
Aussie Melissa Hauschildt proved in Las Vegas that the long course women could hold off the assault of the ITU short course racers and that she has the strongest bike and run in the Ironman 70.3 business.
Sebastian Kienle should have been a prohibitive favorite defending his Ironman 70.3 World Championship at distance and on a course that suits him perfectly. But injuries and illness left him just hoping for a top 10.
Las Vegas, home of the Ironman 70.3 World Championship for three years, will leave good memories for triathletes of championship caliber in all three disciplines. Photo Gallery by Timothy Carlson.