IRONMAN Cairns wrap-up
Monday 10 June 2013
Rookies and pros win Ironman gold
The Far North became a global village for the sold-out Cairns Airport IRONMAN Cairns yesterday, with triathletes Luke McKenzie and Liz Blatchford scoring career-defining victories against an international field.
3000 athletes from 21 countries - a third of competitors were international - lined up for the Ironman and Ironman 70.30 events, with Aussies shoulder to shoulder with representatives from New Zealand, the USA, Japan, and Great Britain, among others.
In the Pro Men event, McKenzie beat a world-class field including two-time Ironman World Champion Chris McCormack, 10-time Ironman New Zealand champion Cameron Brown and a host of Australians.
It was a well-earned victory for the professional triathlete, who started his career with five Ironman wins from 2008 to 2010. His strength in those races, the bike, had slowly become something of a weakness over the past three years. McKenzie used last week's Coral Coast Triathlon 5150 as a warm-up, and all week long had been talking about how happy he was to have his bike back at his expected level.
Recorded a 4:21:52 bike leg, McKenzie had left just enough in the tank to maintain the lead during the run and notch up his sixth Ironman title. Paying tribute to his parents, McKenzie said “it’s the first time my parents have ever seen me win an Ironman, I am so thankful to them, they have supported me throughout my career and I’m so happy they could be here to see me win today."
McKenzie's final time was 8:17:42, just five minutes ahead of Tim Berkel in second place.
In third place, Australian Chris 'Macca' McCormack showed admirable perseverance, claiming podium honours despite spending last Sunday in Cairns International Hospital with a kidney virus. Defying doctors predictions he'd be unlikely to finish, McCormack, who boasts 12 Ironman victories and over 200 wins worldwide since 1993, delivered a herculean effort. He was treated for exhaustion after crossing the finish line.
“You play the cards you’re dealt and full credit to the two boys in front of me they were in a different zip code to me today. There were so many moments that I wanted to quit, but I hung tough,” he said.
Before the race, McCormack described the Cairns event as "the best IRONMAN course in the Southern Hemisphere."
"It’s a fair course, honest, beautiful and a real treat. You don’t get to race in places like this anywhere in the world. It really suits my strengths."
For the Pro Women, it was a fierce battle between the two favourites. Five time Ironman winner, Kiwi Gina Crawford, and Ironman rookie, British-born Australian Liz Blatchford, were neck and neck almost the entire day.
Blatchford claimed first in 9:19:51 and Crawford held on to second, the pay off for "mentally tough" training in New Zealand. American Stephanie Jones rounded out the top three.
Blatchford was full of praise for the spectators. “The support is unbelievable, running down the highway I wasn’t sure I could finish, but as soon as I made it to town the crowd lifted me," she said.
In the IRONMAN 70.3 Cairns, it was all about the bike for the men. Former International Triathlon Union athlete and dual Olympian Courtney Atkinson claimed gold with a strong bike leg in brutally windy conditions. It's an impressive entry into the long course triathlon for the Mackay native.
All the pre-race talk centred on the battle between former ITU stars Brad Kahlefeldt, Courtney Atkinson, and current IRONMAN World Champion Pete Jacobs. In the end it was the ITU alumni who took top podium positions, with Atkinson first, Kahlefeldt in second and Tim Reed third.
“It was fantastic to hear people cheering for me all the way home; we don’t really get that in ITU so it was great to hear,” said Atkinson. ?
First place in the women's race was down to the wire. Kiwi super mum Samantha Warriner nabbed the top spot, just ahead of Kiyomi Niwata, one of 169 competitors from Japan. Australia’s Ange Castle took third.
“This is my 5th race in five weeks and I’m glad I held in there for the win," said Warriner, "I love racing in Australia and to come back and win nine months after pregnancy is fantastic."
“The course was so beautiful, but the wind was there the whole time,” she said.
