Ironman Hawaii enters the 21st Century 2001-2005
More Ironman Hawaii winner images by Timothy Carlson ranging from Tim DeBoom's post 9/11 victory in 2001 to the "I love Taco Bell" Faris Al Sultan win in 2005.
This era begins with Tim DeBoom’s stirring repeat victories in 2001- 2002, marking the return of an American champion to follow in Mark Allen’s footsteps 7 years after The Grip abdicated his throne. In a preview of Normann Stadler’s coming attractions, Steve Larsen’s dominatingly fast 4:33:32 bike into killer winds in 2001 hinted that male cyclists would no longer remain in a supporting role. Stadler fulfilled that omen, broke the paradigm that the men’s Kona battle always goes to a runner’s, and fulfilled a generation of German uberbikers’ dreams with a killer bike and a solid run to glory in 2004. This is also the apex of the Swiss Miss’s greatness as Natascha Badmann took her third through sixth Kona titles in 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005. During this period, only Canadian Lori Bowden broke Badmann’s string, overcoming a 7-minute deficit to Badmann with a 3:02:10 run in 2003. While Badmann’s 3:13:45 run in 2003 dropped her to second and gave false credence to the canard that she could not run – Natascha’s 3:06:25 marathon in 2005 that trumped Michellie Jones’ 6-minute lead erased those doubts. The shockingly fast race day domination by Nina Kraft in the 2004 women’s race seemed like an earthquake as the great Natascha Badmann wondered if her time was past when she arrived in T2 20 minutes down to Nina the Machina. The good aspect of Kraft’s post-race EPO positive, quick admission of guilt, subsequent two-year ban and prolonged period of disgrace and atonement was that drug cheating at Kona seemed to have a terrible risk-reward ratio. The bad aspect was not so much the dark cloud that visited the Ironman’s previously pristine rep, but the fact that Badmann was robbed of the well-earned privilege of basking in the winner’s adulation on Alii Drive. In 2005, Faris Al-Sultan proved once again that Ironman Hawaii was a multicultural domain when he became the third German and the first man of Arab heritage to take the Kona title.
All images © Timothy Carlson
In 2001 pro cyclist-turned-tri Steve Larsen shook up top cyclists, evoking even Normann Stadler to comment: “He passed me like a motorcycle.”
The end for Steve Larsen’s dream race came at Mile 14 of the run, Tim DeBoom making the kill. Larsen’s bike charge left him with payment due. Fade to 3:19:09 run, 9th place.
Lori Bowden lost 2 minutes to Badmann on the swim, 9 minutes on the bike. Thus Badmann’s 3:09:33 to Bowden's 3:03:089 deficit on the run didn’t matter in 2001.
Wearing a Zoot outfit that looked like a Thursday Underwear Run ensemble, Badmann didn’t let this fashion faux pas slow her down on her way to her third Kona win.
DeBoom’s 2001 win lent a measure of American pride just one month after 9/11.
Amidst the cheers from fans and hugs from the DeBoom clan, Tim clutches his head and seems to be wondering “What have I done?”
In 2002, Tim DeBoom and Peter Reid were 10 minutes behind Thomas Hellriegel after the bike. Then DeBoom’s 2:50:22 trumped Reid’s 2:53:48, while Hellriegel faded to 4th.
Before 2002, Nina Kraft was just happy to be on the podium. In 2002, a paranoid Kraft thought a drafting penalty was part of a conspiracy to deny her the win.
Winning her third straight Kona in 2002, Badmann scores her fastest ever 9:07:45 time in 2002.
Friends and one summer training partners Tim DeBoom and Peter Reid
wave to the crowd after another battle. DeBoom prevailed by 3 minutes 10
seconds.
After Tim DeBoom dropped out of a tight duel with kidney stones 14 miles into the run in 2003, Peter Reid cinched his third Ironman title with a 2:47:38 run
After trading places with 1-2 finishes in 1998, 1999, and 2000, Lori Bowden finally joined husband Peter Reid on top in Kona in 2003. In a sad irony, they had just separated and divorce awaited.
Peter Reid’s third Kona win in 2003 still puts him next behind 6-time winners Dave and Mark, ahead of two time winning legends Scott Tinley, Luc Van Lierde and Tim DeBoom.
Natascha Badmann, the greatest woman cyclist ever at Kona, became dispirited and wondered if she should retire when Nina Kraft left her 20 minutes behind into T2 in 2004.
Perhaps anticipating her imminent disgrace for testing positive for EPO, Nina Kraft hung her head when crossing the line first with a big lead over Badmann in 2004.
Natascha Badmann’s sportsmanship shines through when she smiles like a winner after crossing the finish line on Alii Drive second. Actually, she was the real 2004 winner.
Breaking the paradigm that says Ironman Hawaii is always won on the run, Uberbiker Normann Stadler’s 4:37:58 bike in 2004 put an unassailable 23 minutes on runner-up Peter Reid.
Paradigm buster Stormin’ Normann’s 2:57:53 run surrendered 11:43 to Reid, but his dominating bike left him 10 minutes to the good at the finish.
In 2005 Faris Al-Sultan wielded a top-notch 49:54 swim, a best-of-the top-10-finishers 4:25:24 bike and a 5th-best 2:54:51 run to finish a 7th-3rd-1st ascending arc at Kona.
Natascha Badmann’s bike had crushed all rivals, causing many to downgrade her run. But on this day in 2005, Badmann’s 3:06:25 erased Michellie Jones’ 6-minute lead to win her 6th title.
