Kiwis just too good at 2019 Cairns Ironman competition
SPORT
It was a Kiwi back-to-back victory in both the men’s and women’s categories for 2019 IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship over the weekend.
New Zealand’s Braden Currie and Teresa Adam have defended their titles with Currie being the first man to ever win two years running in Cairns.
“Cairns turned it on and it was a really special day again,” he said.
“I was here to win and I knew there was going to be some tough competition. Luck rolled my way and I had a good race as well.
“Defending my title and getting my slot for the IRONMAN World Champs in Kona is amazing, but going post to post is a cool feeling and a real bonus.”
Currie said the trick to his success was not to think too much about winning a spot in the world championship.
“There were lots of tactics going on and lots of people looking for the Kona ticket but once I got my break I stopped thinking about Kona and sunk it, to make sure I got the win,” he said.
“I was pretty happy to have that eight minute lead coming off the bike and I knew that if I didn’t do anything silly I should have been able to hold on.”
Currie finished the mammoth course that encompassed the Captain Cook Highway, Old Port Road, and part of Port Douglas Road, in an impressive eight hours and four minutes.
The women’s category was a closer affair but Teresa Adam came out on top for the second year in a row.
Adam said she knew she faced stiff competition but kept her head down and powered through.
“It was a tough race and so close all day. I just stuck to my pace and kept going. I’ve have come home with the win and I can’t believe it,” she said.
“The girls went flying off the bike and I wasn’t sure they were going to be able to hold that pace. I knew I couldn’t so just started running my pace.
“I just stuck at my pace and when I passed Sarah Crowley she said, ‘Awesome running’ and I just said ‘Thanks mate’ and kept going. All the girls are lovely and it is fun out there because it is a bunch of nice people trying to hurt themselves.
“I just stuck to my pace and didn’t know what was going to happen. I managed to keep trucking along like a diesel and came through in the end. So, I am really happy and the Kiwi double is awesome.”
Adam wrapped up the race in eight hours and 48 minutes, about five minutes faster than her closest competition.
Join the conversation
Give a THUMB UP or THUMB DOWN on what we've covered OR place a COMMENT below.
Got a great news tip or video? We'd love to see it.
Send news tips to editor@newsport.com.au
* Readers are encouraged to use their full details below to ensure comment legitimacy. Comments are the opinions of readers and do not represent the views of Newsport or its staff. Comments containing unlawful, obscene, defamatory, personal or abusive material will not be published.