Great Britain’s Chrissie Wellington will start as the favourite at this weekend’s Ironman World Championships on the island of Kona, Hawaii, following a dominating performance at last year’s race. As a relative unknown she shocked the triathlon world by taking victory in 9 hours 8 minutes and 45 seconds over the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile cycle and 26.2 mile run course.
2008 has also been an exceptional year for Wellington as she remained unbeaten over long distance racing. Alongside wins at Ironman Australia, Ironman Germany and the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in the Netherlands, she also racked up victories over the Half Ironman distance and the formidable Alpe D’Huez Triathlon.
Having spent a number of weeks on the Korean island of Jeju with British team mates Bella Comerford and Stephen Bayliss, she flew to the Hawaiian island of Kona ahead of the race to finish off her preparations.
Wellington said on her build up to the championships: “My training is going really well. I feel strong, happy and ready to hit the lava fields with one objective: to go out there and do my best. Of course, I am a competitor and I want to win, but as long as I know I have given it everything, that’s all I can ask of myself. I am happy, proud and honoured to have worn the crown for the past year and I won’t be giving it up without a fisty cuffs fight!”
Leanda Cave is another Brit to look out for, and at one point led last year’s race during the bike section, eventually finishing in eighth position. Having focused on Half Ironman racing in the first half of the year she racked up a third place finish in California and a win in Florida to go alongside victory at the prestigious Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon.
Bella Comerford enters Hawaii on the back of her most successful season to date. With wins at Ironman UK, South Africa and Lanzarote, and a fourth place in Ironman New Zealand, she has enjoyed a fantastic year. Her fiancé, Stephen Bayliss, has enjoyed an equally successful year with victories at Ironman UK and South Africa and will look to push the front runners.
Straight from his third ITU Duathlon World Championship two weeks ago in Italy, Paul Amey heads to the Ironman World Championships for the first time. The New Zealand born Brit has had a successful season on the world stage with a silver medal at the European Long Distance Triathlon Championships and a win at the Florida Ironman 70.3 race at the start of the year.
Ironman UK runner-up Scott Neyedli is looking to improve on his finishing position from last year’s World Championships where he crossed the line in 31st. The Scotsman flew to San Diego following Ironman UK four weeks ago to recover and start his build up to Kona with double World Championship winner Normann Stadler from Germany.
Ironman racing all started with an announcement at the Waikiki Swim Club Awards in 1977. To settle a 'lively discussion' about who were the fittest athletes; swimmers, cyclists or runners, club members came up with the idea of combining the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, the Around-Oahu Bike Race and the Honolulu Marathon.
“The gun will go off at about 7am, the clock will keep running and whoever finishes first we'll call the Ironman,” the organiser, John Collins, said.
30 years on and the Ironman World Championships remain in Hawaii on the island of Kona. On Saturday morning Britain's best will swim in the Pacific Ocean, ride across the fearsome lava fields and run their way down into Alii Drive to the finish.
Chrissie Wellington
Personal Information
Date of Birth: 18 February 1977
Born: Bury St Edmunds, England
Lives: Wherever my bike bag is!
Website: www.chrissiewellington.org
Nickname: Muppet
Hobbies: Talking, eating, mountain biking
Fav music: The Killers
Fav film: Crash
Fav place: Himalayas
Fav food: Mum and Dad's BBQ
Hero: Scott Risby
Words to live by: "Dare to dream"
Luxury item for a desert island: My photo album and a Ray Mears book on 'how to survive on a desert island when all you have is a photo album'."
What would you do if you weren't a triathlete: Cycle touring the world
Fav quote: "The greatest mistake man can make is being afraid to make one."
Major Achievements
Ironman World Champion 2007
Ironman Korea winner 2007
Alpe D'Huez Triathlon winner 2007
ITU World Age Group Triathlon Champion 2006
2008 Results
1st Ironman Australia, Australia
22nd Tongyeong BG Triathlon World Cup, South Korea
1st Ironman Germany, Germany
1st Alpe D’Huez Long Course Triathlon, France
1st Timberman 70.3, USA
1st Almere ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships, Netherlands
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 Photo cerdit: Ricardo Rams and Triathlon.org
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About British Triathlon
British Triathlon is the National Governing Body for triathlon, the UK’s fastest growing sport. At international level Great Britain boasts a strong squad of world ranked elite triathletes who regularly achieve international success and has some outstanding young talent emerging from its development programmes. Since becoming an Olympic sport in 2000, British Triathlon has seen annual increases in membership numbers of 10%. There are over 650 triathlon events conducted in Great Britain each year, including the Corus Elite Series which attracts athletes from all over the world and the renowned Mazda London Triathlon and. For more information visit www.britishtriathlon.org.
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