Australians Lead Ironman Assaults

By

August 15, 2011

Australian Ironman triathletes have enjoyed a successful weekend, conquering races in Europe, the US, the Phillipines and Australia.
 
Tim Berkel and Rebekah Keat scored brilliant wins in Challenge Copenhagen and there was another double for Tim Jacobs and Belinda Grainger who chalked up victories in the Ironman 70.3 Phillipines.

In the US Luke Bell won his third Lake Stevens 70.3 in Washington, while Ollie Whistler and Michelle Wu took the wins in the first Capricorn Resort Ironman 70.3 Yeppoon held in Central Queensland.

Here is a wrap up of the weekend’s racing, with thanks to the World Triathlon Corporation and Slowtwitch.com

CHALLENGE COPENHAGEN, Ironman – Berkel and Keat score Aussie Double

Australians Tim Berkel and Rebekah Keat have successfully defended their 2010 Challenge Copenhagen titles.

According to Slowtwitch.com, Berkel had to overcome Bjorn Andersson's big lead after the bike, his own hotly disputed penalty for drafting, a late race mini-bonk and the red hot runs of Denmark's Jimmy Johnsen (2:44:01), Croatia's Dejan Petrcevic (2:44:00) and Denmark's Iron newcomer Mads Vittrup-Pedersen (a sensational 2:38:59!).

By the finish, the 27-year-old Australian recouped his energy to surge in the last two kilometres for a defensive 2:46:16 marathon, an 8:11:15 finish and a 35-seconds margin of victory over Johnsen. With all his ups and downs, Berkel's effort was 3:36 slower than last year's far smoother victory.

"I had Jimmy and Dejan breathing down my neck, so I got my nutrition and water in and I think Jimmy had worked hard to catch me. I managed to pull away towards the end but that last 8 km is something you don't want do in an iron distance race," Berkel said after the race.

Keat, on the other hand, combined a 49:33 swim that outpaced her fellow podium finishers by 14 and 12 minutes respectively, a 4:54:41 bike that added 12 and 19 minutes to her big lead, and a 3:05:02 marathon that piled on 16 and 17 minutes.

Keat gave major credit to fellow Team TBB teammate and 2010 Ironman 70.3 World Champion Jodie Swallow, who pushed Keat on the swim and bike and hit T2 with her teammate. But Swallow had to pull out 2km into the run with a chronic plantar fascia injury.

At the end, Keat's 8:52:42 finish gave her a 42:51 margin over runner-up Asa Lundstrom, a Swedish native living in Denmark, and another 2:44 ahead of third place Linda Schuecker of Germany.

"Despite my big lead late in the run I'm not the type that's backing off, it's not in me, and I always run as hard as I can. I wasn't happy with my last two 3:13'ish marathons, so I wanted to show I could run fast," said Keat. "I'm happy about my marathon performance today but would love to crack three hours again."

Challenge Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark (Swim 2.4 miles; Bike 112 miles; Run 26.2 miles)

Results
Overall Men
1. Tim Berkel (AUS) 8:11:15
2. Jimmy Johnsen (DEN) 8:11:50
3. Dejan Patrcevic (CRO) 8:12:18
4. Mads Vittrup-Pedersen (DEN) 8:13:21
5. Esben Hovgaard (DEN) 8:21:07
6. Egoitz Zalakain Erbiti (ESP) 8:26:52
7. Christophe Bastie (FRA) 8:27:32
8. Stephen Bayliss (GBR) 8:34:52
9. Hans D. Nillson (DEN) 8:36:18
10. Frank Horlacher (GER) 8:39:37 *M40-44

Overall Women
1. Rebekah Keat (AUS) 8:52:42
2. Asa Lundstrom (DEN) 9:35:31
3. Linda Schuecker (GER) 9:38:15
4. Karina Ottesen (DEN) 9:42:59
5. Helene Pallesen (DEN) 9:45:54
6. Julia Bohn (GER) 9:46:15
7. Ann Sophie Claire Lonborg (DEN) 9:55:08
8. Liz Pinches (GBR) 10:17:44 * W35-39
9. Louise Lilliso (DEN) 10:18:55 *W30-34
10. Lillan Sindahl Gluemer (DEN) 10:24:27 *W35-39

Australia's Luke Bell has taken his third title in the Lake Stevens, Washington Ironman 70.3.

LAKE STEVENS, Washington, 70.3 – Bell tolls third time in Washington

According to the World Triathlon Corporation’s Shawn Skene, Bell, who does not often return to the same Ironman 70.3 races, preferring to mix up the venues he competes, looked fluid and confident as he ran his way to his third win and his 17th Ironman 70.3 career title.

Out on the run Bell quickly established the lead and methodically pulled away from fellow Australian and eventual second-placed Paul Ambrose through the duration of the run, with Canada’s Jeff Symonds third.

The men’s race started with New Zealand’s Graham O’Grady leading out of the water and up the public boat launch. Nipping at O’Grady’s heels was USA’S Gavin Anderson with a chase pack of three containing Ambrose, Canadian Tom Evans and Bell about 30 seconds behind.

Ambrose had taken control on the bike, riding away from the completion in the early going, with Bell content to mark the move and let the race be settled on the run.

Behind the lead duo Symonds mounted a charge towards the front, coming off the bike in third, 1:46 behind the leaders as they entered the transition.

Pete Jacobs and Belinda Granger have secured an Australian double, winning their respective Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines titles.

IRONMAN 70.3 PHILLIPINES- Jacobs and Grainger fly Aussie flag

Jacobs, 29, mounted a successful defence of his crown with a dominant start-to-finish victory in a winning time of 3:51:43 at the rain-drenched CamSur Watersports Complex.

The brilliant Sydneysider and noted swimmer, shot out into the lead in the swim, maintained his advantage in the bike and then coasted in the run to win comfortably over American Jesse Thomas (4:12:30).

“I got married recently and I was much more relaxed going into the race. My wife Jaimi (who also did the race) and I had a few days out in the Caramoan beach. So that helped me get into a better frame of mind going into the race,” said Jacobs.

The women’s race saw Granger overtake Amanda Stevens late in the run to post a come-from-behind victory with a winning time of 4:26:23. Stevens clocked 4:28:34 to finish second.

Ironman 70.3 Philippines
Camarines Sur, Philippines (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run)
Men
1. Pete Jacobs (AUS) 3:51:43
2. Jesse Thomas (USA) 4:12:30
3. Cameron Brown (NZL) 4:12:54
4. Erich Felbabel (CHN) 4:17:44

Women
1. Belinda Granger (AUS) 4:26:03
2. Amanda Stevens (USA) 4:28:34
3. Bree Wee (USA) 4:35:16
4. Katya Meyers (USA) 4:39:37

Australian professional triathletes Ollie Whistler and Michelle Wu took the wins in the first Capricorn Resort Ironman 70.3 Yeppoon held in Central Queensland.

CAPRICORN RESORT IRONMAN 70.3 YEPPOON – Whistler and Wu On Song

The men’s race saw a sensational finish as the hard charging defending champion, Matty White from South Australia, finished just six seconds behind Lord Howe Island’s Whistler, who finished in 3:56: 44, the third fastest race of all time at Yeppoon.

The race saw the leaders in ever changing position at the front of the field and the final result went down to the wire as White charged home.

Mooloolaba’s Richard Thompson was third and joined Whistler and White in going under four hours.

New Zealand’s Mark Bowstead was the first international in fourth, with Western Australia’s Matt Burton the fastest age grouper finishing fifth overall and Victoria’s Matt Bailey the fifth pro athlete thanks to his sixth place finish.
 
In the women’s race Sydney-sider Lisa Marangon held a strong lead through the swim and ride but Canberra’s Michelle Wu emerged triumphant in the run, ending almost six minutes ahead of Marangon and reversing the results in this race from 2010.

Kristy Hallett was the third women to the line, with Rebecca Eveleigh fourth and Noosa’s Jessica Fleming fifth.

Over 600 entries from six countries took on a 1.9km open water swim in choppy conditions, followed by a 90 km ride into, at times, fierce winds.

The 21 km run was in cooler conditions that saw the field come home in fast times.

Women:
Michelle Wu Woden ACT 4:22:43
Lisa Marangon Vaucluse NSW 4 :28 :21
Kristy Hallett South Melbourne VIC 4:32:38
Jessica Fleming Noosa Heads QLD 4:38:57

Men:
Ollie Whistler Lord Howe Island 3:56:44
Matty White Magill SA 3:56:50
Richard Thompson Moolooaba QLD 3:58:32
Mark Bowstead New Zealand 4:01:51
Matt Burton Swan View WA 4:02:56