IM 70.3 Worlds 09 – Part 1

While Michael Raelert pulled an upset and upstaged his older brother Andreas's impressive second place debut last year, Julie Dibens redeemed two disappointing fourth place finishes and fulfilled a long held dream to win a world title on pavement. Along the way, Raelert smashed last year's already impressive world record time by six minutes with his 3:34:10 clocking and Julie Dibens broke the four hour barrier for women at the 70.3 distance by 27 seconds with a 3:59:33 mark. However easy the course itself may have been, bereft of hills as it is, the sheer speed left a lot of high quality wreckage outside the top 10. A pre race chilly northeaster whipped up waves and chop, forcing WTC officials to move the swim from the open Gulf to the protected waters of the harbor.

Photo Gallery by Timothy Carlson

Defending champion Terenzo Bozzone was coming off an 11th place debut finish at the Ironman World Championship in Kona fiver weeks ago. He said he felt perfect, but after a first pack bike under two hours, he could only muster a 1:21:36 run and slipped to 31st. His 3:46:21 finish would have placed him second in 2006.

Oscar Galindez, who lost an intense duel for the win to Andy Potts by four seconds in 2007, was two and a half minutes off the pace with a 24:28 swim, two minutes off with a 2:00:36 bike and 5 minutes off the winning run with a 1:15:14 run. His 3:44:45 would have won in 2006, but this year netted him 23rd.

Scott Cohen stretches in the dark.

Massimino Cigana finished 21st in 3:44:27

Sylvain Sudrie of France finished 4th in 3:38:02, underscoring his close second place to Tim O'Donnell at the ITU long course Worlds in Perth was no fluke.

Although almost all the pros were eager to tackle Clearwater's anticipated wild waves, they started in the protected waters of the Harbor for the sake of the age groupers. Here the pro women's pink caps are matched by the flamingo paint job of the Aqualoa hotel.

Defending champ Joanna Zeiger looks eager to slip under the arms of a taller, careful pro at the swim exit stairs. Zeiger looked strong until she crashed with under 10 miles to go, suffering a broken clavicle and ribs. Worse for the proud champion — a DNF.

Defending champ Terenzo Bozzone held firm with the lead pack on his way to a 1:59:25 bike and a spot near the front of the lead pack. But on the run, he fell to the fate of defending champions who raced Ironman Hawaii the next year and fell to 31st on the run.

Michellie Jones, she of the Olympic silver medal, two ITU World Championships and a 2006 Ironman Hawaii title, was happy with her 6th place 4:08:17 finish. Why so happy — she beat her boyfriend Pablo, who did a 4:12.

Tim O'Donnell, who came here with high hopes for a World Championship double after winning the ITU long course crown at Perth, got discouraged after a 4-minute drafting penalty and settled for 12th in 3:42:17.

Two-time Italian triathlon Olympian Daniel Fontana swam and biked with the lead pack and ran a second-best 1:12:00. But German Michael Raelert was truly on fire and outpaced the Italian runner-up's 3:36:44 by 2 minutes 40 seconds.

The perennially sunny disposition of Laura Bennett was clouded by a 4-minute penalty assessed when a huge lead men's pack descended on a half dozen top women and Bennett was adjudged to be drafting. If not for her stay in the sin bin, Bennett's 4:07:39 might have outraced Mary Beth Ellis for second place.

Joe Gambles (5th) Luke Bell (7th) and Daniel Fontana (2nd) jockey for position in the opening miles of the bike.

Sylvain Sudrie of France rode 1:59:41 with the lead pack, then advanced to 4th overall with a 1:12:46 run for a 3:38:02 finish.

Mary Beth Ellis showed her breakthrough second place finish last year was no fluke with a 4:03:49 second place finish to Julie Dibens.

Legally blind Aaron Scheidies set a record with his 4:18 finish accomplished with the help of C Different guide Matt Miller.

Michael Raelert hung at the back of the lead bike pack to a 1:59:35 split,then destroyed the field with a record run.

Julie Dibens' 2:07:15 bike was just 74 seconds faster than Caroline Steffen of Switzerland, but after her 1:24:37 run she was 4 minutes 16 seconds ahead of runner-up Mary Beth Ellis.

Stuart Hayes of Great Britain beat Michael Raelert by four places at the City of Los Angeles Triathlon. But Hayes was 41 places back of the German in Clearwater.

Caroline Steffen's 2:08:29 bike was second only to Julie Dibens.