SUB NINE

Records to fall

2012-01-26T11:09:00.000-08:00

It’s early, very early in the season and yet the dynamics for the pro women’s field have been significantly altered.

Chrissie Wellington opened the door the last few years for a rush of personal best performances by the elite of the elite with a Sub Nine performance in Frankfurt in July 2008. Since then, 17 women have surged into the group.

The majority of those athletes are keen to show that their performances the last four years weren’t a fluke.

Wellington’s decision to take this year off begs a few questions. Will a new world record be set this season? Will more athletes finish Sub Nine? Will more athletes finish Sub 8:45? Will another athlete finish Sub 8:30? Why not?

For more see ironman.com

Chrissie to take a break

2012-01-16T23:06:00.000-08:00

FOUR TIME WORLD CHAMPION TO PURSUE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES IN 2012

16th January 2012 – London, UK: Four time World Champion and World Ironman Distance Record Holder, Chrissie Wellington has announced that she’ll be taking a break from competing in Ironman during 2012 to explore other opportunities, including the forthcoming publication of her autobiography.

You can find more details on her website:

Class of 2011 (so far)

2011-11-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

ROTH

Chrissie Wellington 8:18:13 49:49 4:40:39 2:44:35

Julia Wagner 8:56:23 51:28 4:54:27 3:07:25

Bek Keat 8:59:22 51:27 4:51:05 3:13:51

AUSTRIA

Mary Beth Ellis 8:43:34 48:07 4:48:10 3:01:29

Erika Csomor 8:51:10 52:06 4:53:59 2:59:53

Diana Riesler 8:53:34 58:20 4:43:50 3:05:41

Heleen bij de Vaate 8:56:11 58:54 4:52:16 2:59:40

COPENHAGEN

Bek Keat 8:52:42 49:33 4:54:41 3:05:02

KONA

Chrissie Wellington 8:55:08 1:01:03 4:56:53 2:52:41

Mirinda Carfrae 8:57:57 57:17 5:04:16 2:52:09

FLORIDA

Jessica Jacobs 8:55:10 1:02:03 4:53:42 2:53:26

ARIZONA

Leanda Cave 8:49:00 52:08 4:51:06 2:58:51

Linsey Corbin 8:54:33 57:00 4:50:11 3:02:27

Two in Arizona

2011-11-20T17:54:00.000-08:00

Two Sub Nine performances today in Arizona: Leanda Cave and Linsey Corbin.

Leanda Cave 8:49:00 52:08 4:51:06 2:58:51

Linsey Corbin 8:54:33 57:00 4:50:11 3:02:27

Jacobs in Florida

2011-11-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

FLORIDA

Jessica Jacobs 8:55:10 1:02:03 4:53:42 2:53:26

Enter to win a free copy

2011-10-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Sub Nine

by Timothy John Moore

Giveaway ends December 01, 2011.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Sub Nine the New Normal in Kona

2011-10-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

For a third consecutive year, a Sub Nine performance has been needed by a woman to win the Ford Ironman World Championship title.

Chrissie Wellington crossed the finish line on Ali’i Drive in Kailua-Kona on Saturday in 8:55:08. It marked her fourth victory in as many attempts on the legendary Big Island race course. And it was the ninth time she has finished an Iron distance race in less than nine hours; the third time this season.

The British athlete, still recovering from a hard bike crash about two weeks ago, also finished close to the 8:54:02 record she set at the world championships in 2009. Wellington didn’t race in 2010, pulling out the morning of the race due to illness.

On Saturday, Wellington struggled through the swim, reflecting her injuries. She then caught and passed her main rival, Mirinda Carfrae, on the bike before running to the front of the pro women’s field.

Wellington remains the dominant athlete of the current generation. She deflects talk of finishing times. Yet it is mostly speed that divides the elite from the rest of the field in a sport that is determined by who crosses the finish line first. Wellington has five of the top 10 fastest Iron distance times, including the world record that she set in Roth, Germany in July: 8:18:13.

Wellington is the standard by which all her peer’s are measured. How fast could she have been if she hadn’t been injured? It’s a moot point now.

As for Carfrae, she had her second Sub Nine finish, and her second consecutive one in Hawaii. In the process, the fleet-footed Aussie reset the run split record she’d set a year ago with a 2:52:09 clocking. She crossed the finish in 8:57:57. In her victory a year ago, Carfrae finished in 8:58:36.

While the qualifying process for the 2012 Ford Ironman World Championships has already begun, the race this past weekend generally marks the end of the 2011 season as most professionals take a short break.

This season was highlighted by 10 Sub Nine performances, with Wellington recording three and Australia’s Bek Keat recording two. Wellington’s first Sub Nine performance of the year came in South Africa.

Keat, who is the second fastest Iron Woman on the planet, clocked 8:59 in Roth in July and then 8:52 in Copenhagen in August. She decided not to race in Kona this year.

Another repeat Sub Nine performance came from Hungary’s Erika Csomor, who also chose not to race in Kona this year.

New to the Sub Nine list this year are American Mary Beth Ellis, Germans Diana Riesler and Julia Wagner and Heleen bij de Vaate from the Netherlands. Both Ellis and Bij de Vaate competed in Kona but had sub-par days; Ellis finished in 9:34 and Bij de Vaate in 10:35.

There now are just 26 women who have accomplished this feat. The first woman to do so was Thea Sybesma of the Netherlands. She went Sub Nine in Roth in July 1991.

The stats

2011-10-10T08:06:00.000-07:00

Ironman.com has a list of stats starting with the fastest age-groupers and then the fastest pros - broken down by the three disciplines.

Here's a few comments on the stats from the pro women:

Three Americans were among the top five fastest swimmers: Amanda Stevens, Kelly Williamson and Mary Beth Ellis.

Europeans and Brits dominated on the bike: Karin Thuerig, Caroline Steffen, Chrissie Wellington, Leanda Cave and Sonja Tajsich.

And on the run: Mirinda Carfrae, Chrissie Wellington and Caitlin Snow broke the three-hour mark. Next was Kelly Williamson and Sonja Tajsich.

--

Read about the fastest women in the sport in Sub Nine: History's Fastest Ironwomen:

"An extraordinary and inspirational reckoning of women's athletic excellence, Sub Nine is an excellent contribution to collections focusing on women's accomplishments in sports." - Midwest Book Review

"It's an interesting, well-researched read for someone who'd like to learn more about the background of triathlon - and how far women have come in racing." - Triathlete magazine

Wellington, then Carfrae

2011-10-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Chrissie Wellington toughed it out to win a fourth World Champion title.

Wellington swam 1:01:03, rode 4:56:53 and ran 2:52:41 for 8:55:08.

Mirinda Carfrae charged hard on the run but it wasn't enough.

Carfrae swam 57:17, rode 5:04:16 and ran 2:52:09 for 8:57:57.

Winning isn’t everything

2011-10-07T08:07:00.000-07:00

If you’re a pro racing tomorrow, there is a lot of money on the table.

Additionally, there are a lot of points to be captured for the rankings in order to qualify for next year’s World Championships. In some cases that may be worth more for athletes who are neither in perfect form this year nor novices nor rookies when it comes to racing on the Big Island.

The added bonus for the winner is that they won’t need to rush around the world collecting points ahead of the July 29th first qualification deadline for Kona 2012. Even better the champion gets a five-year exemption from the ranking system; all he or she has to do is validate the entry by completing one Ironman during the season ahead.

On the women's side, both Chrissie Wellington and Mirinda Carfrae received that exemption this year. And so did Natascha Badmann; hers was a special exemption reflecting the devastating crash she suffered during the World Championships in 2007. Badmann, even though she's a six-time World Champion, will have to qualify within the points system for next year.

While some athletes flourish with a lot of racing, not every athlete copes the same with the physical and mental - as well as expense - related demands that are involved.

So how does the point system work in Kona?

Well Kona is a P-6000 points race; it awards more points than any other.

First place gets 6000 points, second gets 5400, third 4900, fourth 4450 and fifth 4000. It’s a sliding scale for the first 20 finishers and then there are small amounts of points for those who finish between 21-30, 31-40 and 40 plus.

Most of the other Ironman events on the schedule are either P-1000 or P-2000 events. Some of the P-1000 events are Wisconsin, Wales, Florida, Lake Place and Mont Tremblant. Some of the P-2000 events are Arizona, Cozumel, Western Australia, South Africa, Texas and Brazil.

In other words, finishing fifth in Kona is like winning four P-1000 races, in terms of points.

That makes it key to choose one's races wisely. While a P-1000 race may be somewhat less competitive because there are fewer points on offer, you probably will still need to race hard to win and that could make it harder to race at a pending P-2000 event.

And so, a Top 10 finish tomorrow can go a long way to determining which races one should put on one's schedule in the season ahead.

On the prize money front, there’s also a sliding scale - and it’s a bit more dramatic. The total price purse for Kona - for women and men - is $580,000.

The winner will take home $110,000, second place $55,000 and third $35,000. Fourth will receive $20,000 and fifth will get $15,000.

It slides still faster, leaving the athlete who crosses the line in 10th place with $6000 - and those 4000 points.

Speed is relative ...

2011-10-05T22:20:00.000-07:00

Check out 'Speed is relative but it doesn't hurt to have it' on ironman.com

It's a pre-Kona review of this season's fastest Ironwomen racing on Saturday.

MBE interview

2011-10-04T22:23:00.000-07:00

Check out this interview with Mary Beth Ellis on ironman.com

Marsh won't race in Kona

2011-10-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

Amy Marsh has decided not to race because of illness.

Who is going to Kona?

2011-09-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

The final rankings can be found here:

http://ironmanpromembership.com/kpr-2/

Keep in mind that both Chrissie Wellington, Mirinda Carfrae and Natascha Badmann have been granted exemptions to race because of past victories in Kona. And at least two competitors signaled they won't be racing: Erika Csomor and Diane Riesler.

Badmann, who fought through major injuries suffered in a crash during the race in Kona in 2007, earlier this year came second at Ironman Lanzarote. As a sign of her return to fitness, Badmann swam less than an hour for the 'third' time in her Ironman career. And she set the bike course record.

Badmann also was third at Antwerp 70.3 in July and was third at the 70.3 European Championships a month ago.

Who's not going to Kona?

2011-09-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

There are a few recognizable names who won't be on the start line in Kona in a few weeks.

Among them: Erika Csomor, Bek Keat, Belinda Granger, Fernanda Keller and Diana Riesler.

As well as Meredith Kessler, Hillary Biscay, Desiree Ficker, Dede Griesbauer and Heather Gollnick.

70.3 Championships

2011-09-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

Very very few of the top contenders for Kona raced in Las Vegas.

MBE makes Canada her third win

2011-08-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

Mary Beth Ellis is proving that she's the real deal. She won her third Iron distance event this summer at Ironman Canada.

Keat adds another Sub Nine

2011-08-14T07:42:00.001-07:00

Rebekah Keat has won Challenge Copenhagen for a second year in a row and she's done so with a 8:52:42.

MBE takes second European win

2011-08-07T07:47:00.000-07:00

Mary Beth Ellis has won in Europe for a second time in as many months, crossing the line first in Regensburg, Germany.

Three Sub Nines in Roth

2011-07-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

Three more Sub Nine times were recorded at Roth today. Chrissie Wellington (8:18:13), Julia Wagner (8:56:23) and Bek Keat (8:59:22).

Roth - Wellington 8:18:13

2011-07-10T06:33:00.000-07:00

Chrissie Wellington has reset her own world record time in Roth, Germany with a 8:18:13 clocking, exactly one minute faster than a year ago.

She ran more than four minutes faster than a year earlier, biked about four minutes slower and swam more than half a minute faster.

She swam 49:49.

She biked 4:40:39.

And she ran 2:44:35.

You can see her results at this link.

In 2010, Wellington went 8:19:13 with 50:28, 4:36:33 and 2:48:54.

*The times exclude transitions

Twenty years ago

2011-07-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

It was 20 years ago that the first woman - Thea Sybesma - went Sub Nine. Not recognized much for her achievement in 1991 and it appears not recognized now.

Twenty one races to go

2011-07-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

While there are a lot of familiar names who haven't yet qualified, there's a ton of racing ahead in the next seven weeks.

There are 21 races in total, including seven Ironmans: Switzerland, Lake Placid, UK, Regensburg, Louisville and Canada.

Among those outside of the top 30 at the moment: Kate Major, Belinda Granger, Mary Beth Ellis, Sonja Tajsich, Bek Keat, Sam McGlone, Bree Wee and Natascha Badmann. Badmann no longer is an automatic qualifier.

The automatic qualifier's this year are Mirinda Carfrae, Chrissie Wellington and Michellie Jones.

Qualifying for Kona

2011-07-08T06:59:00.001-07:00

So how do you get to Kona as a pro? This year there's a new process in place and it's based on points collected in both Ironman and 70.3 races during the season.

A pro must race at least one Ironman. Points from five races will be totaled, of which a maximum of three races can be 70.3s.

The top top 25 female pros in the KPR (Kona Pro Rankings) as of July 31, 2011 will be qualified to race in Kona 2011.

There are spots remaining for five more women. The exact size of the field will depend in part on previous winners, who receive an exemption to enter for five years after their last victory.

The final qualifying race for this year will be Ironman Canada on August 28.

More details on the KPR system can be found here.

Kona pro rankings top 15 as of July 4

2011-07-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

Csomor now has three Sub Nine's

2011-07-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

Erika Csomor is showing no signs of slowing down with her superb 8:51 finish in Austria on Sunday. It is the third time that she has gone Sub Nine in the last four seasons.

Csomor's first Sub Nine performance came at Roth, Germany in 2008 and she dipped beneath the nine-hour mark at second time in Roth the next year.

The 37-year-old Hungarian is on fire this season.

She was second at Challenge Fuerteventura, a half iron distance event, in late April, very close second at the 70.3 event in Mallorca in mid May, second in the Austria 70.3 event one week later and was fifth in the 70.3 in Switzerland in early June.

In Austria yesterday, she swam 52:06, rode 4:53:59 and ran 2:59:53. Among the pro women, she had second fastest run; only two women had Sub Three marathons.

Mary Beth Ellis

2011-07-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

Today's Ironman in Klagenfurt generated three new members of the Sub Nine club: Mary Beth Ellis, Diana Riesler and Heleen Bij De Vaate. And Erika Csomor showed that she remains super competitive.

Ellis's performance - stopping the clock at 8:43:34 - makes her the third fastest Iron Woman on the planet. Chrissie Wellington has the fastest time, 8:19:13 in Roth, Germany, a year ago and Rebekah Keat has the second fastest time with her 8:39:24 in Roth in 2009.

Ironman Austria also was Ellis's debut at the distance. From Delaware, this American now lives in Boulder, Colorado. While she ended her 2010 season on a low note, slowed by injuries and disappointing results, she's rebounded this year as a member of Team TBB.

In March Ellis won the 70.3 event in Singapore. She placed fourth in the 70.3 in Texas in early April and finished in second, just seven seconds behind Leanda Cave, at Wildflower on April 30.

The victory in Austria represents an early birthday gift to herself - she will turn 34 on July 12.

Ellis has been a pro since 2006. She's a US Olympic trials qualifier in three sports: triathlon, swimming and the marathon. She was second at the 70.3 World Championships in both 2008 and 2009. She won Escape from Alcatraz in 2009.

On her Team TBB profile, she wrote the following on how she prepares: "All the hard work is done in the years, months leading up to a race."

*Ellis is only the second US-born athlete to go Sub Nine. Sue Latshaw was the first when she went 8:59:31 in Roth in 1997.

Ironman Austria - Four Sub Nine's

2011-07-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

Top-10 women:

1 Ellis Mary Beth USA 8:43:34

2 Csomor Erika HUN 8:51:10

3 Riesler Diana GER 8:53:34

4 Bij De Vaate Heleen NED 8:56:11

Originally from: http://ironman.com/events/ironman/austria/kevin-mackinnon-reports-on-a-record-setting-day-at-karnten-ironman-austria#ixzz1R9EQOFqW

Find us on Facebook

2011-06-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

Check out the button at the end of the blog.

Strong is Beautiful

2011-05-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

The New York Times has written a story about a new advertising campaign for the Women's Tennis Association.

One of the reasons that I've been intrigued by pro women triathletes, which lead me to write Sub Nine: History's Fastest Ironwomen, is how wide a gap there sometime seems to be between athletes and race organizers.

Not all organizers are in the same box yet I still think pro athletes - both men and women - could be far better utilized in helping to promote individual races and the sport in general.

It will take the initiative of a group of athletes - and will require the leadership of some of the elite of the elite. And there will be some disagreement in term of style and approach at some point.

There needs to be a starting point and a simple common objective and organizers at all levels should be eager to buy into it.

This is how the WTA describes itself:

The WTA is the world's leading professional sport for women with over 2,200 players representing 96 nations competing for over $86 million in prize money at 53 events and four Grand Slams in 33 countries. More than 4.8 million people attended women's tennis events in 2008 with millions more watching events on television networks around the world.

Two thousand and two hundred players.

Of course, it had a more humble start. Billie Jean King and eight other 'renegades' had a vision for a better future for women's tennis when they decided to work together in 1970.

Among the work that the WTA does today is 'Player Development', which runs the gamut from a mentor program tapping the experience of veteran and retired players for rookies to media training to education for a player's support team.

The WTA also offers help when players transition out of tennis.

According to the WTA, the player development work has reduced the percentage of athletes who drop out of the sport at a young age to 1 per cent. The work also has extended the average career of an athlete.

The NYT story - Watch as she gracefully knocks the fuzz off the tennis ball - looks at the new 'Strong is Beautiful' ad campaign.

In the May 11 story, the WTA's chief says the objective is to convert peripheral fans into diehard ones by having the players talk about their backgrounds, aspirations and drive.

I'd like to think that the profiles in Sub Nine: History's Fastest Ironwomen help break down some barriers too. It will require a lot more than one book.

Kona pro rankings

2011-05-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

Early season rankings can be found here: Kona 2011

The top 50 male and top 30 female pros at the end of each qualifying year will get starting spots.

Kindle Edition available

2011-05-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

The Kindle edition of the book is now available.

Click on this link to take you to the Kindle store.

You can also purchase the paperback edition again now too.

Technical glitch

2011-04-26T22:07:00.001-07:00

Hang on .. it will be live again shortly .. minor pagination issue ..

The paperback edition is now available.

2011-04-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

createpsace is a division of amazon.com

NEW BOOK - NEWS RELEASE

2011-04-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

Chrissie Wellington’s dominating win in South Africa last weekend marked the sixth consecutive time in which she’s finished an Iron-distance race in less than nine hours.

In just a few short years, Wellington has ushered in a new era in the sport. She’s made Sub Nine performances seem commonplace—yet they are far from that.

A Sub Nine performance puts a woman among the elite of the elite. Membership in this exclusive group numbers just 22; half of those have been earned in the last three seasons. The first woman to stop the clock with an ‘eight’ in front of it was Thea Sybesma of the Netherlands in 1991.

“I wanted to know more about these women, both those racing now and those who came earlier,” says Timothy Moore, author of Sub Nine: History’s Fastest Ironwomen. “I also wanted there to be a historical record of what they have achieved.”

It started with a blog in January 2008 and led to a story ‘Assault on the World Record’ in the June 2008 issue of Triathlete magazine. Weeks later, seven women went Sub Nine, with three of them breaking the 14-year-old record of Paula Newby-Fraser. And the idea for a book was born.

“I wanted to know more,” says Moore, who has worked as an editor at The Australian Financial Review for the last five years and previously worked for 12 years as a reporter and then editor at Bloomberg News in Canada and Australia. The book represents more than a year of focused research and writing.

“What I found in interviewing the women was that their success came because of day in and day out hard work,” Moore says.

On a summer day in July 1991, then medical student Thea Sybesma was the first woman to go Sub Nine, finishing the Ironman race in Roth, Germany in 8:55:29.

Sybesma received little recognition for her effort. “It’s like climbing a mountain,” says Sybesma, who left the sport in 1993 to pursue a career as an orthopedic surgeon. “Others tend to put extreme accomplishment quickly in a different frame of reference.” She says even she didn’t realize until years later how fast she had been.

In the two decades since, Newby-Fraser and Wellington have captured most of the Sub Nine headlines, and with good reason. Other members of the group though include Irma Heeren, Sue Latshaw, Lori Bowden, Kate Allen, Yvonne van Vlerken, Erika Csomor and Bek Keat.

Few of these women have achieved recognition beyond the sport and some of them have already slipped silently from triathlon’s radar screen.

For most of the women, the first time they went Sub Nine was a confirmation of who they were as an athlete. It was more important to some than others, and as fast as they went on their respective days, it wasn’t always fast enough.

“It was special and it was typical me. I just broke the 14-year-old record, only to finish second. One of my eyes was smiling, one was crying: we triathletes love to win,” Erika Csomor says of her 8:47:05 in Roth in 2008.

In their individual profiles, most of the women talk about how they define success; for some it’s all about winning, for others it’s about reaching their potential.

Heather Fuhr, Karen Smyers, Erin Baker—each an Ironman World Champion with careers filled with victories—are not profiled in this book as they never broke the elusive nine hour mark. Nor has six-time World Champion Natascha Badmann.

“You are neither a better person for having a Sub Nine result nor a lesser one for not having done so,” Moore says. Winning isn't always about being the fastest.

Still, sport is about records, setting them, breaking them and pursuing them. Where speed is an element, everyone wants to go faster.

What Sybesma did was equivalent to Roger Bannister breaking the four-minute barrier for the mile, Moore says, though she doesn't think so. "She opened the door. She made women believe they could go faster. And they have. Wellington is affirming that in almost every race," the author says.

Critics allege courses are short or that one athlete or another was pulled through the swim, drafted on the bike or paced on the run. They say that the only race that really counts is held on the Big Island in October.

“There’s value in being skeptical,” Moore says. “But winning an Iron-distance race, no matter its organizer or its location, is no easy task. Finishing in less than nine hours is a remarkable accomplishment.”

Wellington has seven Sub Nine performances on six different courses. She's clearly history's fastest Ironwoman and she's far from done.

BOOK DETAILS - ISBN

2011-04-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

SUB NINE: HISTORY’S FASTEST IRONWOMEN

By Timothy Moore with a foreword by Kevin Mackinnon

Published: April 2011

ISBN 978-0-9865154-6-0

132 pages, paperback

AVAILABLE SOON

2011-04-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

Twenty-two ..

2011-04-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

Twenty-two women have recorded Sub Nine finishes at Iron-distance events in the last 20 years.

This book profiles each of these superb athletes. Interviews were conducted with 17 of the women including Thea Sybesma, the first woman to achieve a Sub Nine finish, and Mirinda Carfrae, the newest member of this elite group.

Carfrae dominates

2010-10-09T18:33:00.001-07:00

55:53

5:04:59

2:53:32

8:58:36

*New run course record

Kona bike times

2010-10-09T16:33:00.001-07:00

*Fastest pro woman bike split by Karin Thurig: 4:48:22

**Only four out of 46 pro women rode faster than 5 hours

Kona swim times

2010-10-09T16:32:00.000-07:00

Fastest pro woman in the water was Rachel Joyce: 52:25

**21 out of 46 of the pro women swam faster than one hour

Who is Caroline Steffen?

2010-10-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

Caroline this year won the ITU World Long Distance Championship. She was second at Frankfurt earlier this year. This Swiss athlete is a member of Team TBB.

Her blog.

Who is Mirinda Carfrae?

2010-10-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

Mirinda is one of the most accomplished half ironman pros. She started having won her last three 70.3 races: Muskoka, Calgary and Vineman.

This Aussie was second in Kona last year in 9:13. And she set the current run course record: 2:56:51.

Her site. Note: As she says herself, she's not much of a blogger.

Who is Julie Dibens?

2010-10-09T15:36:00.000-07:00

Julie is a pro British triathlete living and training in Boulder, CO. Julie is the 2009 world champion in both Xterra and 70.3.

Kona - today - is her first Ironman.

Her website.

Now what?

2010-10-09T10:31:00.002-07:00

With Chrissie out of the race, the end result is wide open.

Here were the top 10 women a year ago.

Chrissie
Mirinda Carfrae
Virginia Berasategui
Tereza Macel
Sam McGlone
Rachel Joyce
Jo Lawn
Sandra Wallenhorst
Dede Griesbauer
Tyler Stewart

DNS for Chrissie

2010-10-09T10:31:00.001-07:00

It is with huge regret and after much soul searching that due to illness Chrissie has announced that she is unable to race. Chrissie started feeling unwell yesterday and attempted to train as normal but without her usual intensity. Chrissie left racking her bike until the last minute and hoped that by this morning her health would have improved sufficiently to start. Chrissie has described this as the hardest decision of her life to date and out of respect for the race and her fellow competitors feels that she should only start if she can compete in the manner that the sport of triathlon has become accustomed to. Chrissie would like to wish everyone an enjoyable and safe race.

Who's won more than once this season?

2010-10-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

Gina Crawford

Bek Keat (Team TBB)

Amy Marsh (Team TBB)

2010 Challenge Series Winners

2010-10-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

Wanaka Gina Crawford 9:28

Roth Chrissie Wellington 8:19

Barcelona Lucie Zelenkova 9:13

Copenhagen Bek Keat 8:54

2010 Season WTC Winners

2010-10-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

Arizona Sam McGlone 9:09

Florida Sofie Goos 9:08

Cozumel Yvonne Van Vlerken 9:06

WA Gina Crawford 9:16

Malaysia Belinda Granger 9:23

NZ Jo Lawn 9:14

South Africa Sonja Tajsich 9:16

Australia Carrie Lester 9:23

St George Heather Wurtele 9:35

Lanzarote Catriona Morrison 10:03

China Amy Marsh 9:52

Brazil Tereza Macel 9:19

Coeur d'Alene Linsey Corbin 9:17

France Tine Deckers 9:21

Austria Eva Dollinger 9:18

Switzerland Karin Thurig 9:00:04

Lake Placid Amy Marsh 9:27

Frankfurt Sandra Wallenhorst 9:04

UK Yvette Grice 10:01

Canada Meredith Kessler 9:13

Louisville Bek Keat 9:33

Wisconsin Gina Crawford 9:27

Kona odds

2010-10-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

A range of opinions on what lies ahead this Saturday:

Slowtwitch

Triathlon Magazine Canada

ironman.com

Some athlete sites

2010-10-07T10:20:00.000-07:00

Chrissie Wellington

Mirinda Carfrae

Julie Dibens

Tereza Macel

Bek Keat

Samantha McGlone

Yvonne Van Vlerken

Lisa Marangon

Back

2010-10-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

This blog is back in active duty.

Suspended

2009-05-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

This blog has been suspended for now.

China 70.3 - Balding

2009-04-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

Amanda Balding took her first 70.3 win, leading from start to finish. Her partner, Luke McKenzie, came second in the pro men's race.

Ironman 70.3 Women

1. Amanda Balding 5:28:55

2. GEMMA KEOGH PETERS 5:53:40

3. Jutta Wessling 5:59:52

4. Anne Knecht -Boyer 6:01:23

5. Laura Walsh 6:08:34

6. Joey-Lynn Musselman 6:13:26

7. Alicja Szapowal 6:18:17

8. karen fairley 6:31:15

9. Min-Amy Xu 6:41:57

10. Annemarie Munk 6:42:44

China - Mdot .. Paul prevails

2009-04-19T09:49:00.001-07:00

Charlotte Paul won her second Ironman title, persevering on a day of high humidity to post the fastest overall run split, a 3.35 marathon. She won the women's race by more than 12 minutes and was fourth overall.

Ironman: Women

1. Charlotte Paul 9:48:14

2. Edith Niederfriniger 10:01:39

3. Tereza Macel 10:13:43

4. Donna Phelan 10:25:15

5. Kim Loeffler 10:29:53

6. hillary biscay 10:39:14

7. Lidia Rekas 10:50:13

8. Yvette Grice 11:05:43

9. Jocelyn Sui-Yee Wong 11:08:10

10. Megumi Kobayashi 11:14:26

If only ..

2009-04-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

If only the water wasn't so cold ..

the rain so hard ..

the drafting that everyone else was doing ..

having had six flats ..

losing all my nutrition ..

barely being able to get the finish line standing ..

and,

not to mention the competition,

She's back .. Natascha Badmann wins!!!!

2009-04-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

And she had a respectable swim, a superb bike (fastest split) and a decent run (fourth fastest).

1 BADMANN, NATSCHA 00:30:55 02:15:52 01:27:50 04:17:50

2 MORRISON, CATRIONA 00:29:24 02:23:11 01:22:41 04:18:43

3 ZEIGER, JOANNA 00:26:35 02:23:02 01:29:37 04:22:25

4 SNOW, CAITLIN 00:29:31 02:27:32 01:21:58 04:22:51

5 KRAFT, NINA 00:26:44 02:27:55 01:25:22 04:23:17

6 TISSEYRE, MAGALI 00:29:19 02:23:02 01:28:31 04:24:30

7 CORBIN, LINSEY 00:29:34 02:20:26 01:32:57 04:26:28

8 MAJOR, KATE 00:29:18 02:26:17 01:29:06 04:28:02

9 BENTLEY, LISA 00:29:17 02:26:29 01:29:43 04:28:57

10 MEYERS, JESSICA 00:29:37 02:24:54 01:34:01 04:31:34

Chrissie - another Mdot, another win

2009-04-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

Chrissie Wellington put to rest any questions about the challenge of changing coaches and bike sponsors with a dominating performance at Port Macquarie.

The Brit crossed the line in 8:57 for her second consecutive M-Dot Australia.

Her splits:

swim 50:48

bike 5:03

run 2:59

She was 11th overall and less than a minute behind reaching the top 10.

The victory keeps her streak of Ironman race wins intact. She has won every Ironman she's entered in the last three seasons.

***

In reviewing the field, the start line was not very deep. Michellie Jones dropped out ahead of the start due to illness.

That left Rebekah Keat as the one experienced athlete to race against Chrissie. Yet Rebekah trailed Chrissie after the swim and was further behind after the bike, and Chrissie ran away from the Aussie during the marathon.

Chrissie had a margin of victory of almost half an hour.

Port Mac - Three champs

2009-04-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

Chrissie vs Michellie vs Rebekah

Team TBB and Chrissie

2009-03-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

Odd isn't it how the official site of Team TBB is still dominated by photos of Chrissie?

http://www.teamtbb.com/

Singpore results

2009-03-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

1 SWALLOW, Jodie 00:27:32 02:21:20 01:28:05 04:19:10
2 HEWITT, Andrea 00:28:03 02:23:02 01:37:07 04:30:24
3 MACEL, Tereza 00:28:42 02:22:25 01:37:06 04:30:41
4 ZELENKOVA, Lucie 00:28:05 02:32:41 01:36:34 04:40:38
5 MAJOR, Kate 00:31:39 02:34:47 01:35:13 04:44:29
6 LANGIT, Lea 00:30:42 02:40:47 01:35:42 04:50:32
7 OHARA, Erin 00:35:15 02:39:16 01:40:50 04:58:21
8 WONG, Jocelyn 00:42:37 02:45:45 01:40:02 05:11:58
9 KEAT, Rebekah 00:30:52 00:00:00 00:00:00 00:00:00
10 VAN VLERKEN, Yvonne 00:35:33 00:00:00 00:00:00 00:00:00

DNF . Keat, medical
Van Vlerken, mechanical

Angela Naeth profile

2009-03-20T21:51:00.000-07:00

Opportunity Knocks by Timothy Moore in the March & April issue of Triathlon Magazine Canada, page 26

Singapore - Sunday

2009-03-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

From ironmanlive:

In the women’s race it’s no different as Australia's Rebekah Keat, the defending champion, doesn't have an easy road to victory in the women's race. The 2009 Aviva Ironman 70.3 will see Keat mix it up with Yvonne van Vlerken, holder of the fastest time ever for an Ironman distance race, back in Singapore and looking for a win.

And the two top seeds will be watching the challengers very closely, especially third seed, Kate Major, the Aussie who has three times finished third in Kona, Lucie Zelenkova who just weeks ago won Ironman 70.3 South Africa and Tereza Macel, who has won Ironman Korea.

Then there are two Olympians in New Zealand’s Andrea Hewitt and Great Britain’s Jodie Swallow and a trio of new faces who have also cut into the top ten placings in recent Ironman events, including Joceslyn Wong (top ten in Ironman China) and Erin Ohara, top ten in Ironman Malaysia. And watch out for newcomer LC Lingat from the Philippines who could lead the women from the water!

Jo Lawn - slowtwitch/xtri links

2009-03-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

Jo Lawn

slowtwitch link

xtri link

Ferguson - Lawn dominate NZ

2009-03-07T21:38:00.000-08:00

1 FERGUSON, Gina 00:52:05 05:12:47 03:08:11 09:18:25
2 LAWN, Joanna 00:52:21 05:09:51 03:15:22 09:23:07
3 PAUL, Charlotte 00:54:42 05:21:54 03:08:14 09:30:24
4 KRISTENSEN, Lisbeth 00:54:39 05:04:30 03:28:40 09:32:50
5 BAYLISS, Bella 00:55:10 05:17:42 03:22:28 09:41:03
6 SHIONO, Emi 01:11:05 05:05:31 03:32:16 09:54:16
7 WARD, Nicole 00:54:39 05:32:40 03:23:42 09:56:03
8 MARTIN, Britta 01:03:14 05:12:54 03:34:02 09:56:17

Granger on Langkawi

2009-02-28T21:55:00.000-08:00

1 Granger, Belinda 00:53:56 04:48:08 03:36:10 09:21:10
2 Leder, Nicole 00:58:29 05:16:31 03:17:56 09:36:40
3 Nishiuchi, Maki 00:53:12 05:08:28 03:52:44 09:57:13
4 Phelan, Donna 00:55:12 05:05:40 03:59:12 10:03:18
5 Waitz, Christine 01:02:26 05:29:09 03:30:26 10:05:32
6 Streiter, Ute 01:06:15 05:17:05 03:45:33 10:12:51
7 Miyazaki, Yasuko 01:01:42 05:42:56 03:29:17 10:17:05
8 Shigaki, Megumi 00:58:29 05:30:12 03:50:06 10:22:27
9 Kinnegim, Irene 01:06:15 05:07:36 04:10:33 10:29:04
10 O'hara, Erin 01:02:35 05:29:00 04:06:28 10:41:25

NZ field

2009-02-18T09:41:00.000-08:00

NZ will be held on March 7. Here's the pro women on the start list as of today.

Bella Bayliss United Kingdom FPro
Britta Martin New Zealand FPro
Celia Kuch Germany FPro
Charlotte Paul Australia FPro
Diana Riesler Germany FPro
Emi Shiono Japan FPro
Gina Ferguson New Zealand FPro
Joanna Lawn New Zealand FPro
Kerryn Bell New Zealand FPro
Lisbeth Kristensen Denmark FPro
Melissa Holt New Zealand FPro
Miranda Alldritt Canada FPro
Miranda Stacey-Davidson New Zealand FPro
Nicole Ward Australia FPro
Rebekka Essmüller Germany FPro

Lawn has won for six years in a row on her home course.

http://www.ironman.co.nz/main.cfm?id=1

Malaysian field

2009-02-18T09:34:00.000-08:00

Feb 28 Malaysia. It has drawn a much deeper field than in recent years.

1 Streiter, Ute AUT
2 Miyazaki, Yasuko JPN
3 Harsanyi Dr., Zsuzsanna HUN
4 Balding, Amanda AUS
5 Shigaki, Megumi JPN
6 Inoue, Yukako JPN
7 Kinnegim, Irene NLD
8 Bij De Vaate, Heleen NLD
9 Leder, Nicole DEU
10 Granger, Belinda AUS
11 Alldritt, Miranda CAN
12 Niederfriniger, Edith ITA
13 Waitz, Christine Waitz DEU
14 Kubota, Saki JPN
15 Csomor, Erika HUN
16 Phelan, Donna CAN
17 Nishiuchi, Maki JPN
18 Wong, Jocelyn USA

In 2008, Granger won with Yvonne van Vlerken taking second.

http://www.ironmanmalaysia.com.my/home.html

Geelong reviewed

2009-02-18T09:24:00.000-08:00

It was a hot day at the recent 70.3 race in Geelong, Australia in more ways than one.

It was one of the highest profile pro women fields outside a major championship. There was Yvonne van Vlerken, the Dutch woman who broke Paula Newby-Fraser's iron distance record last season, as well as the current ITU World Champ Samantha Warriner. Also on the start line were Ironman champions in Kate Major, Charlotte Paul and Rebekah Keat.

Warriner won the race in 4:14:33, almost 10 minutes faster than a year ago with a margin of victory of just 52 seconds. In comparison, Mirinda Carfrae won a year earlier in 4:24:27 with almost three minutes to spare.

In reviewing the top 10 women across the line, there was a gap of 16 minutes and 25 seconds this year. A year ago the difference was 19 minutes and 24 seconds. This year nine women crossed the line in less than 4:30; just three did a year ago.

Third place finisher Keat posted the fastest run split on the day in 1:20:44 - one second faster than Warriner.

Words

2009-02-09T18:23:00.000-08:00

“He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her.”

Geelong 70.3

2009-02-08T18:25:00.000-08:00

1 WARRINER, Samantha 00:22:45 02:27:32 01:20:45 04:14:33
2 VAN VLERKEN, Yvonne 00:27:14 02:22:20 01:21:20 04:15:25
3 KEAT, Rebekah 00:23:19 02:29:44 01:20:44 04:17:35
4 MAJOR, Kate 00:24:47 02:30:36 01:24:10 04:23:48
5 TAYLOR, Pip 00:22:13 02:31:14 01:28:44 04:25:56
6 BEVILAQUA, Kate 00:27:27 02:30:59 01:25:35 04:28:11
7 PROWSE, Tara 00:26:25 02:36:48 01:21:47 04:28:48
8 PEARSON, Amelia 00:24:47 02:31:55 01:29:07 04:29:34
9 PAUL, Charlotte 00:26:32 02:31:59 01:26:51 04:29:48
10 LANE, Renee 00:24:37 02:31:36 01:30:57 04:30:58

More Team TBB changes

2009-01-10T12:45:00.000-08:00

Team TBB's personnel changes are continuing with a post on the team's website this week saying that Rebecca Preston and Nicola Spirig have decided to return to school.

That adds to the departures of Chrissie Wellington, Belinda Granger and Hillary Biscay.

So who's still on the team?

Well according to the photos on the website:

Bella (Comerford) Bayliss
Donna Phelan
Erika Csomor
Lisbeth Kristensen
Jocelyn Wong
Lucie Zelenkova
Maki Nishiuchi
Tereza Macel

Who's racing where?

2009-01-07T21:12:00.000-08:00

Yvonne Van Vlerken - she has Ironman Germany and Kona on her list as well as 1/2 ironman events in Geelong, Singapore, Barcelona and Germany.

Gina Ferguson - she has Challenge Wanaka, Ironman NZ, Challenge Roth, Challenge France and Kona.

Jo Lawn - she will race Ironman NZ and the Tauranga half.

Hillary Biscay - she will race Wanaka.

Charlotte Paul - she's racing at Ironman NZ, Roth and Kona, then WA as well as the 1/2 event in Geelong.

More to follow ...

Van Vlerken hires Mark Allen

2009-01-07T21:09:00.000-08:00

Yvonne Van Vlerken is the latest to switch coaches, today announcing the hiring of Mark Allen.

She also announced today that she won't seek to defend her title in Roth, opting instead to race in Frankfurt at Ironman Germany.

Year in Review

2008-12-21T19:48:00.000-08:00

The last 12 months marked a transition for pro women as the depth of the field helped propel their performances to their highest level yet.

In the next few days, we'll review the achievements of 2008 and set the stage for what lies ahead in 2009.

From English to English

2008-12-14T19:52:00.000-08:00

In three months time, Chrissie Wellington has signed up with a third coach. This time it's Simon Lessing, who recently retired as a pro himself.

See Triathlete magazine

Ferguson goes Sub Nine in WA

2008-12-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

For the second time this season, Gina Ferguson broke the 9-hour mark. She went 8.59:24.

8:59:24 50:30 4:58:12 3:10:41

Ferguson led from start to finish.

2008-2009 Winners

2008-11-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

Iron distance race winners for the 2008-2009 season.

See

Who's on first?

2008-10-29T08:30:00.001-07:00

So Hillary Biscay, Belinda Granger and Chrissie Wellington have left Brett Sutton and Team TBB to join Cliff English.

There's a story on slowtwitch and also on xtri.

Who is he? Well, he may be best known for coaching Sam McGlone. In the past he's also coached Peter Reid (in the pool) and Melanie McQuaid and Leanda Cave.

Sara Gross - Top 20

2008-10-17T22:52:00.000-07:00

"Into T2 and I was really feeling like crap physically and mentally. Its hard to be in that much pain for that long. So I ran. As I got going i knew that i wasnt on fire, but that if kept up the pace it might just be enough to squeak into the top 20. And it was. Phew.

The long and the short of it is that i came to this race to learn so i could do well here in future years, and learn i did! Mission accomplished. So I should be happy right?"

Linsey - Top American - 5th

2008-10-17T22:34:00.000-07:00

"To see a dream of mine become a reality is just an indescribable feeling. From the start of the year, I have always been focused on a top-ten performance here in Hawaii. While I credit several factors to the success of my day, when it came time for the cannon to blow, I knew I was as prepared as ever to `crack a big one'."

Linsey Corbin

Gina - exhausted in 8th

2008-10-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

"I was exhausted at the finish line. I have never been exhausted before and have always finished with plenty in reserve so at least I know I had given it my all so I am happy. I have a lot now that I can take away and try and improve upon for next year."

Gina Ferguson

Jo Lawn didn't give up - 14th

2008-10-17T22:26:00.000-07:00

"For me Kona was and is everything ..."

Joanna Lawn

Kate Major looks ahead

2008-10-17T22:22:00.000-07:00

Kate Major was injured heading into the race and wasn't able to run anywhere near her ability.

"In one way I was disappointed in my result but in another, I did all I could do and wont go to sleep wondering how I would have gone.

I will be back again next year!!!"

Bella's 7th!

2008-10-17T22:16:00.000-07:00

Bella Comerford finished off a superb season with a 7th place finish in Kona.

Bella's blog

Charlotte Paul's race day - 11th

2008-10-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

Charlotte, a Brit who's now an Aussie, came 11th in Kona with a 3:06 marathon split.

Charlotte Journey

Who wasn't fit on race day?

2008-10-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

Sam McGlone
Michelline Jones
Natascha Badmann
Kate Major
Joanna Lawn

Top 20 Women

2008-10-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

1	Wellington, Chrissie	31	00:56:20	05:08:15	02:57:44	09:06:23
2	Van Vlerken, Yvonne	29	01:06:49	05:05:34	03:04:26	09:21:20
3	Wallenhorst, Sandra	36	01:03:21	05:14:56	02:58:35	09:22:52
4	Csomor, Erika	34	00:59:09	05:18:11	03:03:05	09:24:49
5	Corbin, Linsey	27	01:00:35	05:14:33	03:09:15	09:28:51
6	Berasategui, Virginia	33	00:58:50	05:22:16	03:03:48	09:29:15
7	Comerford, Bella	30	00:59:02	05:21:45	03:08:30	09:34:08
8	Ferguson, Gina	27	00:54:45	05:26:29	03:11:18	09:36:53
9	Kehr, Gina	39	00:54:45	05:21:46	03:14:35	09:37:06
10	Griesbauer, Dede	38	00:54:52	05:20:52	03:19:17	09:39:53

11 Paul, Charlotte 1:03:14 5:26:31 3:06:13 9:41:15
12 Snow, Caitlin 59:01 5:36:57 3:01:59 9:43:27
13 Matter, Sibylle 56:15 5:20:13 3:23:15 9:44:54
14 Lawn, Joanna 59:00 5:16:44 3:25:10 9:45:33
15 Dogana, Martina 1:03:31 5:27:26 3:14:32 9:50:47
16 Imaizumi, Naomi 1:03:32 5:22:03 3:20:20 9:54:08
17 Granger, Belinda 56:09 5:15:24 3:39:47 9:56:01
18 Keat, Rebekah 56:19 5:26:39 3:28:27 9:56:01
19 Shiono, Emi 1:14:34 5:22:23 3:15:21 9:57:04
20 Gross, Sara 59:04 5:42:27 3:18:57 10:06:10

Wellington takes 2nd title

2008-10-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

Chrissie Wellington secured a second consecutive Kona title and set a new course run split at the same time.

1 9:06:23 101 Wellington, Chrissie Thetford GBR 56:20 2:06 5:08:16 1:59 2:57:44

Slowtwitch odds

2008-10-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

Here's what slowtwitch has in mind:

Kona pre-race preview

Chrissie Wellington
Kate Major
Jo Lawn
Rebecca Preston
Nina Kraft
Dede Griesbauer
Gina Kerr
Desiree Ficker

Triathlete Magazine

2008-10-01T20:22:00.000-07:00

Kona issue women's preview

Chrissie Wellington
Sam McGlone (DNS because of injury)
Kate Major

Yvonne Van Vlerken
Erika Csomor

Bella Comerford
Gina Ferguson
Belinda Granger
Edith Niederfriniger

Wellington vs Van Vlerken

2008-08-20T22:49:00.000-07:00

The duel is set for this weekend - make that August 30-31 - in Almere, The Netherlands which is hosting the ITU Long Distance World Championships.

It will be the last big race for both athletes before Kona in October.

Interview: Yvonne van Vlerken

2008-08-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

In conversation with Yvonne van Vlerken
By Timothy Moore
8/5/2008

For the first time in any iron-distance event, four women finished in less than 9 hours in Roth, Germany on July 13.

What’s more, in a matter of just eight days last month, on three different race courses in Europe, eight of the world’s best iron-women confirmed their membership in the elite Sub Nine Club. They have set the stage for the fastest starting line ever in Kona this October.

The race in Roth marked the third time in 12 months that Yvonne van Vlerken crossed a iron finish line in less than 9 hours. Her unexpected approach of the world record in Roth in 2007 - she was 1 minute and 2 seconds off the mark - can rightly be seen as a catalyst for the recent surge in speed among the women’s field.

In fact, the women in Team TBB - among them Chrissie Wellington, Erika Csomor and Belinda Granger - help motivate themselves in training with thoughts of putting `Yvonne VV` in her place. It’s a huge compliment to what van Vlerken has accomplished.

Including her iron debut in Roth in 2007, van Vlerken has won three iron-distance races, and she was second in her fourth, which came early in her season when, as she says, her top priority was to secure a spot to Kona.

While new to iron-distance racing, the 29-year-old has a very solid race CV including a World Duathlon Championship in 2006. She has raced and won events across Europe for more than six years. She’s preparing now for the ITU World Long-Course Championship which is being held in Almere, The Netherlands later this month.

Van Vlerken was surprised by her performance in Roth in 2007. She wasn’t aware how close she had been to Paula Newby-Fraser’s record. She didn’t intend to repeat that mistake.

"I didn’t feel any pressure. I was confident that I could win,’’ she says of her preparation for Roth a month ago. "I just knew that I could win and break the world record.’’

What matters the most?

2008-07-15T17:33:00.001-07:00

Already a debate has begun about who holds the real world record. It's a moot point.

Yvonne van Vlerken is now the fastest ironwoman on the planet. Period. She shouldn't be denied that accolade.

There should be no debate about whether it was or wasn't a WTC event. [There are some people who view the times set in Kona as the only ones worth recording.]

There are always going to be differences in terms of courses, the conditions and also the effect of having more or less athletes competing at the same time. But the distance is indisputable.

Eight athletes recorded Sub9 times in eight days this month, starting with Chrissie Wellington at Ironman Germany in Frankfurt on July 6 and ending with Belinda Granger at Roth, also in Germany, on July 13.

This rush to the line wasn't as sudden as it might appear, nor should it be dismissed anytime soon. It's a huge accomplishment and a great development for triathlon.

The depth of the women's field is greater now than it ever has been and the level of competition is as high as it ever has been.

Without a doubt there are comparisons to the races between Paula Newby-Fraser and Erin Baker. Each pushed each other to their personal limits and then a bit further. But it wouldn't be fair to these two legends of the sport nor to the athletes of today to dwell on who's the best based simply on time.

Newby-Fraser and Baker excelled at the highest level year in and year out and it's that consistency that makes them legends.

That's why in any sport, an era is defined as a period of time.

The current women's field entered a new era last year when van Vlerken in her rookie ironman event at Roth almost set a new world record. What she accomplished then was to inject confidence in herself, and among her competitors, to reset the goalposts. With her time on Sunday, she now has gone Sub9 three times in a year. She'll make her Kona debut this October.

Wellington's unexpected win in Kona, and her four ironman wins in as many races are another point of definition.

These athletes are just the tip of the iceberg.

Hawaii is poised to be one very exciting race this year.

Eight Days in July

2008-07-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

These results are the eight athletes who recorded Sub9 times from July 6 to July 13 at three races in Europe: Ironman Germany, Ironman Austria and Quelle Roth Challenge.

*For a larger image, click on the table

Quelle Challenge Roth

2008-07-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

Yvonne van Vlerken, Erika Csomor, Gina Ferguson and Belinda Granger broke the 9-hour mark at Quelle Challenge Roth in Germany.

Van Vlerken has set a new standard for iron-distance racing with her 8:45.48 clocking.

Csomor went 8:47:05, Ferguson 8:57:18 and Granger 8:58:08.

Ironman Austria

2008-07-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

At Ironman Austria in Klagenfurt, Sandra Wallenhorst went 8:47:26, Bella Comerford 8:51:17 and Edith Niederfriniger 8:59:45.

For a short period of time Wallenhorst was the world record holder.

Wellington 8:51:24

2008-07-06T17:23:00.000-07:00

At Ironman Germany in Frankfurt, Chrissie Wellington won her fourth straight ironman race and came within a whisker of setting a new world record.

She led from start to finish, crossing the line about 26 minutes ahead of her next competitor.

Instead of racing to the line, she slowed during the final stretch to celebrate.

Speedy Iron Athletes

2008-04-08T20:00:00.001-07:00

The times as of 6 April 2008.