Croneborg, Luxford win 25th Laguna Phuket
Fredrik Croneborg of Sweden edged 2018 Ironman World Championship runner-up Bart Aernouts of Belgium by 1:49 to win the middle distance 25th Laguna Phuket Triathlon Sunday in Thailand.
Croneborg combined a 2nd-best 24:24 swim, a race-best 1:08:52 bike split, and a 2nd-quickest 46:09 run. Aernouts, in his first outing after a Kona podium, posted the fastest run split of 43:46 but it was not enough to make up for his swim and bike splits.
Annabel Luxford of Australia topped fellow Australian Dimity Lee-Duke by 2:18 to prevail over the women pros at Laguna Phuket.
Luxford combined a women’s-best 25:28 swim, a women’s 5th-best 1:22:09 bike split, and a women's-fastest 49:43 run split. Duke’s women's fastest 1:19:13 bike split could not make up for a 29:47 swim and 50:25 run.
Croneborg and Luxford took their first Laguna Phuket titles to join the star-studded winners of this storied Southeast Asia classic.
Hall of Fame men who have prevailed in the premier Thailand destination resort include Mike Pigg (1994, 1995), Simon Lessing (1996), Greg Welch (1997), Craig Walton (2000), Craig Alexander (2002, 2004), Greg Bennett (2005), Jan Frodeno (2009), and three-time winner Michael Raelert (2015, 2016, 2017).
Croneborg’s winning time was the third fastest in Laguna Phuket history, falling 2:36 behind Raelert’s 2016 race-best 2:18:13 winning mark.
Hall of Fame women who have won the independent Laguna Phuket Triathlon at its traditional distances of 1.8k swim, 50k bike and 12k run include Karen Smyers (1994), Michellie Jones (1995), Paula Newby-Fraser (1996), Jackie Gallagher (1997, 1998, 1999), Joanne King (2000, 2001) Carol Montgomery (2002, 2003), Nicole Hackett (2004), Samantha McGlone (2005, 2006), Belinda Granger (2008, 2010), Liz Blatchford (2007), Radka Vodickova (2009, 2011, 2012) and Melissa Hauschildt (2013).
Luxford also scored a third-best ever women's finish, her 2:39:50 was 4:49 slower than the time of 2017 winner and course record holder Amelia Rose Watkinson of New Zealand.
25th Laguna Phuket Triathlon
Laguna Phuket, Thailand
November 18, 2018
S 1.8k / B 50k / R 12k
Results
Men
1. Fredrik Croneborg (SWE) 2:21:39 S 24:24 B 1:08:52 R 46:09
2. Bart Aernouts (BEL) 2:23:28 S 26:45 B 1:10:36 R 43:46
3. Per Van Vlerken (GER) 2:24:02 S 24:28 B 1:10:46 R 46:37
4. Massimo Cigana (ITA) 2:27:00 S 28:29 B 1:11:58 R 44:23
5. Stuart Hayes (GBR) 2:31:04 S 24:22 B 1:16:09 R 48:24
Women
1. Annabel Luxford (AUS) 2:39:50 S 25:28 B 1:22:09 R 49:43
2. Dimity Lee-Duke (AUS) 2:42:08 S 29:47 B 1:19:13 R 50:25
3. Anna Eberhardt (HUN) 2:46:21 S 32:36 1:21:03 R 50:06
4. Sylvia Gehnboeck (AUT) 2:51:07 S 31:05 B 1:19:44 R 57:38
5. Beate Goertz (GER) 2:53:59 S 34:09 B 1:22:03 R 54:30 *F45-49
