Ironman

The last sentence––about the entry fee amount––almost certainly contains a misprint or misunderstanding by the story's reporter. Triathlonlive.com will update the story as information is forthcoming. The full text of the article is here.

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Historic Kona course undergoes change

March 24, 2001, Tarpon Springs, Florida (www.slowtwitch.com):

Quiet rumors swirled around Kona last October that a course change was in the works, due to the closing down of the Kona Surf Hotel––the historic bike-to-run transition in the Hawaiian Ironman. (See map in the following article). Many of those course changes have in fact occurred according to a press release just published by the owners of the Ironman race. It reads in part:

"The major changes include a new bike-to-run transition area at Kona's Old Airport Park. The modifications affect portions of the bike and run courses, but athletes will still come down storied Alii Drive to the finish line.

"The swim course is unchanged, and the swim-to-bike transition area will still be located on the Kailua Pier. Riders will see a difference in the new bike course right away, however.

"Instead of heading to the top of Pay 'N Save Hill on Palani Road and out on the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway (Queen K), competitors will turn left on Kuakini Road less than a 1/4 mile out of the transition area, and head toward the Old Airport Park and out Makala Blvd. (Kmart Road). Riders will then head into town on the Queen K and navigate a decent on Palani Road, turning left onto Kuakini Highway at the bottom. This very spectator-friendly portion of the course on Kuakini Highway will ultimately take them back south to the Queen K Highway. From there, it is off through the lava fields and ho'mumuku winds to Hawi. The addition of the Kuakini Highway stretch will put athletes onto the northbound Queen K between 30 and 40 minutes later than in previous years.

"’The new course will demand more use of riding skills earlier in the day,’ said Sharron Ackles, WTC race director. "The addition of the Kuakini extension of the bike course will create greater climbing challenges earlier in the bike race as well."

"Returning from Hawi, riders will exit the Queen K at Makala Blvd., and make their way down the hill to the new bike-to-run transition area at the Old Airport Park. THis new bike course eliminates a heavily congested section on Alii Drive to the south, and gives spectators much better access to the race course and the competition as it unfolds.

"’We think this will be a very popular spot for spectators this year," said Friedland. "The old transition area was so difficult for spectators to reach often the only people there to cheer on the athletes were our race volunteers.’

The run course begins with a one-mile loop at the Old Airport Park and then travels through town to the Pahoehoe Park turnaround (near Magic Sands beach). After completing the turnaround, the athletes head toward the Queen K Highway and onto Natural Energy Lab (NELH) Road. The remainder of the run follows the familiar path along the Queen K, down Palani Road and eventually onto Alii Drive, where they will be greeted by ovations from the crowd.’"

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Impact of course changes

March 24, 2001, Kona Kailua, Hawaii (www.slowtwitch.com):

These are certainly the most sweeping changes ever to take place on the Ironman's historic Kona course. But, there were a variety of additional changes considered according to rumors heard at last year’s Ironman, including having the swimmers turn right past the pier, then swimming around toward the harbor and old airport; and having the cyclists continue to ride past Hawi toward Waimea. The eventual changes that were adopted are sane and should be welcomed by all the but hard-core traditionalists.

The course changes will make the course similar in difficulty to the old one, will preserve much of what is important about the historic course, and make the race more spectator friendly in many respects.

Certainly spectators will be able to see the racers much more often early during the bike ride. A strategically placed viewer––placed at the corner of Palani Road and the Queen K Highway––would see the racers twice on the bike on their way out to the lava fields. The part lost to spectators is the ride back through town on the way to the Kona Surf. Spectators would miss the riders altogether after they leave Kona Kailua proper unless they were to make their way to T2.

These changes will also allow a spectator to see both transitions and the race finish without having to make the trek 6 miles south to the Kona Surf for the traditional T2.

For the athletes competing, Kuakini Highway replaces the hill at the end of the bike ride, and then some. Kuakini steadily climbs up to Palani Road, and is probably a more difficult climb than that which climbs out of Keahou up to the plateau one mile from the end of the old bike course. But, the Kuakini climb is early, and can be negotiated with fresh legs.

The changes on the run should make the race’s ultimate leg slightly easier. Early, hot, hills are replaced with a gentle run through town, where spectators can cheer the runners on their way south of town to Magic Sands beach and back north again. Look perhaps for slightly faster run splits with the new course.

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Kona slots revealed

March 20, 2001, Vista, California (www.slowtwitch.com):

Through considerable culling Triathlonlive has been able to collate the slots to be awarded at each qualifying race for IM Hawaii this October. Readers will find the breakdown here.

Still unresolved are certain pro slots to be awarded, and some other, minor, matters, such as St. Croix's pre-announced allocation of slots. That would, on its face, seem counter to World Triathlon Corporation's mandated slot allocation formula.

Also included on the slot breakdown page is the total number of age-group competitors in IM Hawaii last year per sex and category.

As more information becomes available Triathlonlive will present it to its readers.

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Isuzu both in and out as IM sponsor

March 13, 2001, Tarpon Springs, Florida (www.slowtwitch.com):

In the next week or so 'netsurfers should expect to see the on-and-off Isuzu banner back on the IM California and IM USA websites, but not because Isuzu has had a change of heart.

Higher-ups in American Isuzu's previous regime set the Ironman sponsorships in place two years ago, and those running the show in the new era––there was a management house-cleaning last Fall at American Isuzu's headquarters––decided Ironman was not for them.

They apparently sent a letter to World Triathlon Corporation headquarters in December alerting the owners of the Ironman Triathlon that they wouldn't be coming back as sponsors next year.

"It's not quite that simple," said Ironman––or some words to that effect––and referred Isuzu to the fine print in the multi-year deal which spelled out the terms of any early-termination that Isuzu might choose to exercise.

Last Friday the sides met for arbitration (instead of civil court, most likely because of an arbitration clause that has become common in sponsorship contracts) and the arbitrator parsed the contract and––in King Solomon style––gave each side half the baby.

Isuzu appears to be out of triathlon altogether at the end of this year, but is still invested in this sport in a small way over the next few months. It is obligated to pay part of the amount owing in its contract. While Triathlonlive has no confirmation of this––neither side is willing to give up any details––it is presumed that Isuzu said that since it had to pay money, it ought to get some signage rights. Isuzu therefore retains title sponsor status at the two Ironman races mentioned above, and is not involved in either Ironman Florida or Ironman Hawaii.

The big winner here is Graham Fraser, the owner of all North American Ironman races. Isuzu's pullout in December gave him almost no time to find a replacement title sponsor for Ironman California. Now he only has to find a sponsor for his Florida race, which won't take place until near the end of the year.

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Isuzu may be out as Ironman sponsor

January 29, 2001, Cerritos, California (www.slowtwitch.com):

As Dave Scott was the Ironman triathlete of the '80s, Bud Lite was triathlon's all-star sponsor. The '90s was certainly Mark Allen's decade, and Gatorade was there to make sure his checks cleared the bank. Y2K arrived with a new pair of big hitters on board -- Peter Reid winning the Ironman, and American Isuzu there to help pay for it. But while Reid is planning on hanging around for awhile, his decade's sponsor may be pulling up stakes just as the aughts are getting up a head of steam.

Something is afoot, and few are talking. At World Triathlon Corporation's headquarters in Tarpon Springs, Florida, the owners of Ironman Triathlon are saying no comment. Literally. While the always affable and helpful personnel will be happy to talk to you on other subjects, "no" and "comment" are the two specific words you here when bringing up WTC's relationship with Isuzu.

Likewise, calls to Ironman North America went unreturned. The owners of the Ironman races in Lake Placid, California, and Florida are probably just as eager to find out the situation as everyone else, as the title sponsor of these races last year -- American Isuzu -- did its negotiations, and signed its contracts, only with WTC. So, whatever fate awaits the North American Ironman races -- at least as regards their title sponsor -- largely depends on negotiations still ongoing between WTC and American Isuzu.

There are three facts.

First, there is no sign of an Isuzu logo on Ironmanlive.com's front page, the official site of the Ironman.

Second, Bob Reilly, an avid cyclist (and Litespeed owner), and a sponsor and/or advertiser in everything from the resurgent United States Triathlon Series, the Tour de France, and the Ironman, is no longer chief executive at American Isuzu. It was he who was at American Isuzu's helm during the late '90s. The new regime is "heading in another direction," as regards marketing emphasis, according to American Isuzu executives.

And third, nobody at American Isuzu is claiming that this change in direction is related to a failure of the sport -- or anybody in it -- to live up to any elements of execution. Specifically, American Isuzu executives are pointing out that WTC did everything it was contracted to do. But nobody will comment as to whether there is an ongoing sponsor relationship.

If you're American Isuzu, and you're going in a different direction -- why not simply cut bait now? The difficulty would be if there was a multi-year deal in place. In such case, American Isuzu might seek to buy their way out of the deal. Since everybody is tight-lipped, the nature and substance of any negotiation is a mystery.

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St. Croix becomes Hawaii Ironman qualifier

October 21, 2000, Christiansted, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
(www.slowtwitch.com):

The beauty dances with the beast, at last: The St. Croix International Triathlon is officially aligning with the most prestigious Ironman, Hawaii's Ironman Triathlon World Championships.

The 2001 St. Croix race, for May 6, will become an official Hawaii qualifier, with 30 slots. As such, it will increase its odd distances to the official half-Ironman distances (2k swim, 90k bike, 20k run). Previously, the race distances were 2k swim, 55k bike, 12k run.

The St. Croix race has been a qualifier in the past few years for Ironman USA and Ironman Canada.

With US$50,000 in prize money and a no-drafting policy, it has long attracted many of the best triathletes in the world. Last year's winners were Belgium's Luc Van Lierde and USA's Joanna Zeiger.

Noted Tom Guthrie, St. Croix's longtime race director, in a press release: "By becoming affiliated with Ironman Hawaii and the World Triathlon Corporation, we should see the number of entrants dramatically increase. On an island that is heavily dependent on tourism, that is a very positive thing."

In addition to the 30 Hawaii spots, the race will continue to offer 10 spots for Ironman Canada and 10 more for Ironman USA.

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Deja vu for Kona: Reid and Badmann win again

October 14, 2000, Kona, Hawaii (www.slowtwitch.com):

A few might have figured that, once Luc Van Lierde announced on Friday that he wasn't starting the Hawaii Ironman on Saturday, Canada's Peter Reid might have an easier time out there. Not.

The road back to Kona -- the Queen K Highway that stretches into town, toward the infamous finish on Alii Drive -- proved a most difficult portion, but Reid prevailed: He won the world's most famous triathlon for his second time.

He won in 8:21:00, his margin just 2:09 over American Tim DeBoom. It was the closest race since Belgium's Van Lierde set the course record (8:04:08) in 1996, with Germany's Thomas Hellriegel just 2:01 back. And, it fully put the Kona race back in the hands of North Americans after a run of European winners and challengers.

Reid's wife, Lori Bowden, nearly made it a double for the couple. While Switzerland's Natascha Badmann (9:26:16) won her second women's title, Bowden ran into second place, 9:29:04.

Though Reid and Bowden have won at both the 1998 Ironman Australia, and the Ironman Canada in August, achieving such a feat here was all but unthinkable.

It never even occurred to the pair from Victoria, British Columbia. "This race is so tough, too hard to even think about both of us winning in the same year here," Reid said. "For one of us to win again, is pretty incredible."

When Reid won in 1998, Bowden was second. Last year, Bowden won, and Reid was second.

Besides, not only were both Reid and Bowden facing the deepest fields ever -- in spite of Van Lierde's shocking last-day withdrawal. They were racing two other married couples in the DeBooms and the Leders.

Tim DeBoom (2nd) and Nicole DeBoom (12th, 10:13:12) were the next fastest pair, followed by Lothar Leder (4th, 8:28:14) and Nicole Leder (19th, 10:17:52).

But it was -- in addition to high winds -- the third-place finisher, Germany's Normann Stadler, who made things most difficult for everyone else. While the winds slowed all the cyclists on the way out to the turnaround at Hawi, Stadler forced everyone to ride fast to keep him within grasp.

Stadler, who had spent six weeks training in San Diego with cycling-specialist Juergen Zaeck, finished with the fastest bike split, 4:35:14. Reid's race was 4:39:32 and DeBoom's, 4:40:30.

Reid's strength is the run, though, and he managed a 2:48:10 marathon. It was the day's fastest (DeBoom ran 2:49:59), but it wasn't pretty.

"I rode great, but I struggled late on the bike. And I ran hard, and I struggled a bit at the end there, too.

"It has always been my dream to cross the finish line and pass out, and it almost happened today."

Badmann's win looked only slightly easier. She had her trademark smile and spirit, never minding the tough conditions.

"Kona is the most spiritual place I have ever been," she said. "For me it is a special race. If there is wind or rain or sun, I just accept the nature as it is, and I give my best."

Badmann had a 13-minute lead off the bike, and an eight-minute lead over Brazil's Fernanda Keller at halfway through the marathon. But the one who nearly ran her down wasn't Keller, but Bowden. Bowden's 3:04:19 marathon was considerably faster than Badmann's 3:19:02.

When Bowden passed into second, she left third place for Keller -- who took the position for the sixth straight year.

"You can think it's a joke, but I am happy," Keller said. "I gave everything I had today, and many people would like to be in my place."

Bowden, too, is glad for her position, rather than disappointed that she didn't repeat as champion. "It was probably the toughest day I've ever had out there," she said. "To give 100 percent and get second -- it's a good feeling."

It was also deja vu for the spectators, who had also filled Alii Drive when both Reid and Badmann had won in 1998. This time, though, it wasn't any easier for either of them.

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Cool Hand Luc shows his hand -- and withdraws

October 12, 2000, Kona, Hawaii (www.slowtwitch.com):

Belgian Luc Van Lierde, the Hawaii Ironman two-time winner and course record-holder, shocked the field here -- and the race isn't even until Saturday.

Van Lierde delivered a stunning announcement to competitors and media via Saucony, his major sponsor: He will not race, and would be leaving the island tonight to return to Belgium.

The news of his withdrawal has been the race's most closely-held secret the last 24 hours. Saucony's Dan Schorr read a prepared statement, in which Van Lierde said he hadn't come to Kona with the proper mental preparation. His statement read:

"Those of you who know me, are aware that I have a great respect for the Ironman race and its tradition. For that exact reason, I have decided to withdraw from this years Ironman race as a variety of factors have prevented me from mentally focusing on this years race. This race demands that one have the ultimate concentration in order to win. It has been my long-time decision to handle my training, sponsorship, media and other activities myself. Right or wrong, this has caused stress for me to handle all of these issues and requests following last year's victory. Unfortunately, problems at home, preparation of my equipment and other demands have not allowed me to mentally prepare the way I am capable of doing. These stresses have led me to losing weight (6 pounds) over the last three weeks and do not put me in a mind-set to win.

"It is out of respect for this race, its tradition, the men like Dave Scott and Mark Allen before me, that I am withdrawing from the race as I can only enter if I am 100% prepared to give my best effort.

"I thank the Belgium people and media who came over here to support me.

"I also want to wish the other competitors the best of luck in the performance."

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John Collins checks into Kona again

October 11, 2000, Kona, Hawaii (www.slowtwitch.com):

John Collins, who dreamed up the first race in 1978, turns up in Kona every year to, among other things, present the military triathletes their awards.

He's a friendly face, greeted by many around Kona. And no wonder -- he is triathlon's original Ironman. Triathlete Italy editor Renato Locatelli asked him to reflect on the Ironman for the October issue of the magazine, and Collins obliged -- in honor of the occasion of triathlon reaching the Olympics last month. He allowed his words to be reprinted here:

"My family and I have been involved in triathlon from the very beginnings: the small contest organized by the San Diego Track Club in 1974. The event was very informal, very short and meant to break up running training with a "novelty event." The challenge to many of the runners was simply to get through the series of very short swim legs without drowning. Competition with the other contestants was secondary for most of the athletes. When I proposed the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon in 1977, it was presented as a "challenge event." There were trophies for all finishers, but none for finish order. As we all know, it is impossible to put two athletes on the same course without a contest developing. Sure enough, a race developed at the front, while the majority of the contestants pitted themselves against the long course, the hot weather and their inner demons.

"Because few of the participants were experienced in all three sports, the contest included many safety-driven requirements. Some were poor swimmers, so the swim was placed first so that we could count them into the water and count them out of it. The extreme length of the course meant that there would be several people out on the public roads in the night, so we placed the bike leg second to get the bikers in before darkness. There were no athletes with skills to allow safe drafting, so drafting was outlawed. We did not have the volunteer resources to allow support or policing of the course. Participants were required to have their own paddler and a vehicle to accompany them on the road. Course policing was left to the honor and honesty of the participants. As I said in the race rules, "You can cheat, but you will always know it and no one else will care."

"Now triathlon is a worldwide movement, an Olympic event and a way of life for thousands. Those few people racing at the head of the pack have grown to a worldwide cadre of professional and elite age-group athletes. Short, tight courses and fierce competition have made drafting mandatory. Event organizers now direct thousands of volunteers in assisting and controlling the athletes. Still, especially in the Ironman events, the majority are pitting themselves against the long course, the weather and their inner demons. Just as in 1978, the real race for most of us is against ourselves. A purely competitive sport can grow and prosper, but to capture the imagination and become the focus of so many thousands worldwide, there must be more than pure competition. There must be personal reward beyond the trophies and ribbons, even beyond the prize money for those few at the front.

"Triathlon is unique in that every organ and sense is taxed to the maximum. Management of energy, practice of the art of the transition, and maintenance of a sense of body status are all major requirements of triathlon, keeping the brain as well as the body involved. This total involvement of body and mind is the same whether the athlete is at the front or the rear. The contest is internal and complex. The rewards are personal and lasting. Triathlon, which grew from a media-driven "extreme" sport to a worldwide movement, brings each contestant a different personal experience. The depth of this experience depends on the athlete, his preparation and commitment. The Ironman, in particular, represents a personal journey to the edge. The knowledge gained there is priceless. Every serious endurance athlete should make the journey at least once."

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Marocco's missing Ironman, but his heart is here

October 11, 2000, Kona, Hawaii (www.slowtwitch.com):

When talk turns to American military triathletes, Douglas Marocco is one whose name surfaces year after year. The last few years, he was stationed in Japan. Before that, Two Palms, California. For the last few months, he's been in Honduras.

He always raced the Hawaii Ironman -- but not this year. Here's a "letter home" from Marocco, which puts triathlon in a perspective that few Americans get the chance to consider. "Less than a week out from the 2000 Hawaii Ironman, I would have never imagined that I would be in Honduras instead of the Big Island. Unfortunately, my military duties have once again taken me away from triathlon's most prestigious event. Nonetheless, as a triathlete I am committed to a life of fitness and therefore seek the opportunity to participate whenever possible. In the capital city of Tegucigalpa, Honderas, I was part of an event that seemed like a throwback in time to when the sport of triathlon was first evolving in the United States.

"This past Sunday morning, I was supposed to be competing in a local 1OK. However, the event was cancelled on Friday, but I was told that there was going to be a triathlon nearby that several of the runners would be doing. A triathlon, even better! As it turned out, triathlon hasn't completely matured in Honduras yet, but it is on its way.

"The swim was 500 meters held in a 50-meter pool that was built for a Honderous Olympic bid in 1968. The cycle portion was two 10K loops over cowded city streets and the run was five 1K loops near the pool. In order to build interest, individuals were not allowed to compete. You either had to come with a team, be placed on a team or be a spectator. With 20 register teams, the Police force almost outnumbered the participants. Sign-up, the transition area and everything surrounding the event was low key. Just how it used to be.

"The sound of the starters gun had 20 swimmers diving into the pool to begin their leg. A handful of them where high schoolers from several well organized youth swim programs. They emerged from the water in 6:22 and sprinted to their team mate. It looked just like an ITU race exit. From that point the cyclists took to the streets in with a Police escort and motored through the bike course in small groups. Drafting was not an issue, it was expected. Once again, the ITU format is a familiar resemblence. When the bike race was over and the tag was made, the runners set out on the multi-lap course and stretching each other to their limits until the eventual race leaders evolved.

"The names of these athletes were different, but it mirrored most ITU World Cup events. The leaders of all three events pace was equal with that of some Olympic caliber triathletes. The difference of course is that triathletes compete as individuals and must meet the demands of each sport in combination with each other. Some prefer going long as in Ironman Distance, while others would rather keep the racing short and fast. Either way, the flow from one sport to another is what makes the sport a sport, and not just three individual identities.

"As it now stands, the Honderas National Triathlon Federation has about 25 registered triathletes and they haven't held an officially sanctioned event within the country in two years. Regardless of what you think about the ITU format, no one is pedaling your bike for you and countries such as Honderas will most likely emerge with ITU-style triathletes instead of potential Ironman candidates. The reason is rather logical. The athletes will end up coming from an individual sport that has Olympic funding potential. Sure, eventually these athletes may make a switch later in life, but their first exposure will be the fast pace, draft legal, run 10K did you drop ITU format.

"It will be up to the thousands of hard core age-group athletes that put life on hold for a while to keep the Ironman explosion alive. Although it may be a dream to do the Ironman in Hawaii, for most people it is not possible either economically or physically do to qualifying standards. That leaves the opportunity for the WTC to place an Ironman-qualifying event anywhere they choose. Of course, it won't be here in Honduras because they still working on getting the team of three doing their own thing into one person doing all three. That's why it's called a TRIATHLON.

"If anyone has comments or suggestions on how to get the the sport going in Honderas, please feel free to send them to me and I will pass them on. The potential for events is outstanding, but the lack of knowledge and organizational skills prohibits them from getting things started on a larger scale."

Doug Marocco
US MARINES
Tegu Honduras
maroccodw@state.gov

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Coaches Huddle, Frey will miss Kona, too

October 4, 2000, Kona, Hawaii, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):

It's nearly unthinkable, that Paul Huddle could come up with a reason to miss his first Hawaii Ironman in 15 years. But - he's got a good one.

It's because he and one of his coaching partners in Multisports.com, Roch Frey, have a deal to coach the Chinese team, called Team Mild Seven, in the Mild Seven Outdoor Quest adventure race in -- where else -- China.

It's not just a fly-in, show up, fly-out gig: It's 40 days of real tough training in the wilderness. It's all to prepare the four for the multi-day race that runs from November 2-5 in Dali, in the southwestern area of China.

The race is a four-day stage race, involving mountain biking, off-road running, kayaking, inline skating, ride-and-tie, traditional paddling and additional adventure skills. Teams don't race through the night, but instead cover ground for six to 10 hours, in stages, each day. The race finishes with a climb up to 15,000 feet.

Said Huddle on his coaching company's website, Multisports.com: "We are taking Team Mild Seven though some major training righ tnow to get them ready for race day. After they get through the 40-day training camp, the four-day race will seem like a walk in the park."

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Broken collarbone likely sidelines Zack for Kona

September 28, 2000, San Diego, California, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):

Germany's Juergen Zack saw his hopes for racing the Hawaii Ironman on October 14 plummet on Tuesday after a collision with a car left him with a broken collarbone.

Details are scarce, but were confirmed by the World Triathlon Corporation: While training on his bike, Zack met a car and ended up on the pavement. While Zaeck has not yet officially informed WTC that he won't race, it is considered unlikely.

The winner of the Ironman Austria in July, Zack -- who lives much of the year in San Diego -- had hoped for a competitive return in Kona. He missed last year's race because of back trouble, and he finished a "noble" 231st in the 1998 race.

His last bit of glory in Kona came in 1997, when he finished second to another German, Thomas Hellriegel. He was also second in Ironman Europe that year, and won Ironman Europe in both 1998 and 1999.

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Who's racing the Hawaii Ironman - the latest list

September 23, 2000, Kona, Hawaii, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):

There was considerable speculation that short-distance talent would be looking at moving up to the Ironman races soon after the Sydney Olympics, and the October 14 Hawaii Ironman will benefit from the first of that.

American Barb Lindquist -- who has never raced an Ironman in her life -- received the only female "wildcard" entry to the race, which otherwise requires everyone to prove themselves first in other World Triathlon Corp.-aligned races. She is the ITU's No. 4-ranked triathlete, but failed to make the Olympic team.

There are a total of 1,584 athletes registered to race, 133 of them as
"pros." Here is the latest list of pros from the WTC's Priscilla Fraiegari:

- Men from Australia: Will Carroll (23), Dean Gavan (28), Patrick Hofer (34), Chris Legh (27), David Meade (30), Shane Smith (30), Grant Webster (30) - Men from Austria: Hubert Hammerl (28)
- Men from Argentina: Juan Mutti (33), Eduardo Sturla (26)
- Men from Belgium: Jean Moureau (37), Danny Simons (35), Dirk Van Gossum
(38), Luc Van Lierde (31)
- Men from Brazil: Roberto Lemos (32), Alexandre Ribeiro (35)
- Men from Canada: Shane Besler (28), Fred Biondi (30), Charlie Cooper
(31), Mike Neill (28), Peter Reid (31), Eric Roy (27)
- Men from Czech Republic: Jaroslav Hyzl (31), Petr Vabrousek (27)
- Men from Denmark: Bent Andersen (36), Jan Birger Olsen (39), Peter
Sandvang (32)
- Men from Estonia: Kirill Litovtsenko (32)
- Men from Finland: Anssi Lehtinen (32), Mike Luoto (27), Kai Soderdahl
(32), Tom Soderdahl (28)
- Men from France: Christophe Buquet (37), Yves Cordier (36), Benjamin
Sanson (29)
- Men from Germany: Uto Bolts, Ralf Eggert (28), Harald Feierabend (33), Juergen Hauber (31), Thomas Hellriegel (29), Daniel Kezele (26), Matthias Klumpp (32), Lothar Leder (29), Steffen Liebetrau (28), Alexander Muegge (25), Rainer Mueller-Hoerner (33), Dirk Niederau (29), Andreas Niedrig (33), Normann Stadler (27), Alex Taubert (31), Uwe Widmann (29), Juergen Zaeck (35) - Men from Great Britain: Spencer Smith (27)
- Men from Hungary: Peter Kropko (37)
- Men from Japan: Yuji Fujiwara (37), Makoto Imaeda (27), Kaoru Matsuda
(30), Hideya Miyazuka (36), Yoshinori Tamura (31), Shingo Tani (33)
- Men from Luxembourg: Dan Dethier (38)
- Men from Netherlands: Guido Gosselink (29), Frank Heldoorn (31)
- Men from New Zealand: Cameron Brown (28)
- Men from South Africa: Jan Van Rooyen (28)
- Men from Switzerland: Olivier Bernhard (32), Beat Brechhguhl (32),
Christoph Mauch (28), Lukas Zgraggen (33)
- Men from USA: Eric Bean (24), Jared Berg (26), James Bonney (28), Tim DeBoom (29), Tony DeBoom (31), Scott Duprex (32), Ken Glah (36), Michael Hagen (38), Chris Hauth (30), Steve Hegg, Ryan Huckabay (31), Troy Jacobson (31), Tim Key (33), Michael Lovato (27), Ric Rosenkranz (30), Alec Rukosuev (33), Cameron Widoff (31), Jamey Yon (34)

- Women from Argentina: Barbara Buenahora (23)
- Women from Australia: Belinda Cheney (24), Louise Davoren (29), Joanne
King (24), Angela O'Connor (34), Susan Peter (37)
- Women from Brazil: Cristina Carvalho (31), Fernanda Keller (37)
- Women from Canada: Lisa Bentley (31), Lori Bowden (33), Heather Fuhr
(32), Lori-Lynn Leach (32), Melissa Spooner (29)
- Women from Denmark: Susanne Neilsen (33)
- Women from Germany: Nicole Best (32), Laura Bieger (29), Julia Brengel
(26), Cordula Gruber (38), Sabine Heinrich (31), Nicole Leder (29), Katja
Mayer (32), Ute Mueckel (33), Katja Schumacher (32)
- Women from New Zealand: Karyn Ballance (28)
- Women from Sweden: Lena Wahlquist (33)
- Women from Switzerland: Natascha Badmann (33), Ariane Gutknecht (36)
- Women from USA: Tsaja Crofoot (29), Michelle Deasy (28), Nicole DeBoom (28), Laura Drake (32), Alison Hayden (28), Christine Heillmann (34), Wendy Ingraham (36), Kristen Johnston (33), Heather Jorris (31), Gina Kehr (31), Jeanne-Anne Krizman (27), Barb Lindquist (31), Donna McMahon (30), Paula Newby-Fraser (38), Juliana Nievergelt (40), Holly Nybo (37), Mary Uhl (35), Joanna Zeiger (30), Beth Zinkand (30)

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Long road to recovery puts Smyers out of Hawaii

September 20, 2000, Kona, Hawaii, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):

Karen Smyers, triathlon's poster woman who smiles through all traumas, will have to miss the Hawaii Ironman, and announced as much on Wednesday.

The winner in 1995, she was the runner-up last year -- when she raced knowing that she probably had thyroid cancer. She kept the secret to herself until she broke the news to the triathlon world in January, via USA Today and USA Triathlon.

She delayed treatment until after the Olympic Trials Triathlon in Dallas in May. She finally had, on August 14, a five-hour surgery to have five or six enlarged lymph nodes removed. She had a radioactive-iodine treatment two weeks later, then raced the Los Angeles Triathlon on September 3. There, she finished a disappointing and uncharacteristic 23rd.

"I was somewhat optimistic after my surgery and radiation treatment as I felt pretty good," she said. "I had a couple of workouts that indicated I hadn't lost too much fitness. But during the race in LA, it was pretty apparent that I had miscalculated my readiness to go hard.

"I knew that I had to have three great weeks of training after LA if I had a prayer of getting to Hawaii in good shape. Suffice it to say, that though my mind was willing, my body was not. I'll have to buy my own Isuzu this year, rather than win it.

"The highest I have been able to get my heartrate was while I was watching the incredible Olympic triathlons live on CBC. Congratulations to Simon and Brigitte on awe-inspiring performances."

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Canada's Gagnon to miss Hawaii

September 20, 2000, Kona, Hawaii, USA (from Germany's Dirk Kantlehner for www.slowtwitch.com):

Canada's Isabelle Gagnon, seventh overall as an age-grouper among the pros in the 1998 Hawaii Ironman, must miss the October 14 race because of getting hit by a car on her bike last week.

The accident last week, near her home in Quebec City, put Gagnon, 26, in the hospital for a week. She was cut by the driver's windshield, losing much blood with cuts to her neck and arm. The doctors called her lucky for the glass missing a main artery.

She has to give up on Hawaii this year, but is thinking of possibly racing Ironman Florida instead. She finished 21st as a pro in Hawaii last year. "Mentally, it's hard to miss Hawaii, because I lived all year for that race," she said. "I feel better now, and I'll be back stronger next year."

She was supposed to leave on Monday for Victoria, British Columbia, for training with Canada's national team, but had to miss that trip, too.

She intends to race less long-distance in the future and focus on Olympic-distance racing. She was fifth in Ironman California in May, but then did a pair of ITU World Cups, taking 18th in Toronto and 9th in Corner Brook, both in July.

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All the Ironmans for 2001 - date switches and all

August 29, 2000, Kona, Hawaii, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):

If you're planning to return to the Hawaii Ironman in 2001 (on October 6), you obviously have to qualify first.

Here, confirmed by the World Triathlon Corp., are the dates set out for the full-Ironman races 'round the world in 2001 (plus the 2001 qualifier, Florida, this coming November). Significant changes from the 2000 schedule including the movement of Ironman Malaysia from late-May to late-January; and Ironman South Africa from early-Febraury to late-March.

November 4, 2000: Ironman Florida
January 28: Ironman Malaysia
March 3: Ironman New Zealand
March 31: Ironman South Africa
April 8: Ironman Australia
May 19: Ironman California
May 26: Ironman Brasil
May 26: Ironman Lanzarote
July 2: Ironman Asia
July 8: Ironman Europe
July 29: Ironman Austria
July 29: Ironman USA-Lake Placid
August 5: Ironman Switzerland
August 26: Ironman Canada

There are five more shorter races (all half-Ironman but Muskoka, which is odd distances), in which to qualify:

May 27: Keauhou-Kona Triathlon (Hawaii, USA)
June 3: Blackwater EagleMan Triathlon (Maryland, USA)
June 18: Muskoka Triathlon (Ontario, Canada)
June 24: Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon (Texas, USA)
July 7: Half-Vineman Triathlon (California, USA)

The four American half-Ironmans will each have, as before, 25 qualifying spots for Hawaii. Muskoka will have 20. As for the full Ironmans, they will likely have the same, or near the same, as last year: Contracts for how many spots, per race, are still being determined.

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Another cyclist "bolts" his sport for a shot at the Kona course

August 18, 2000, San Diego, California (www.slowtwitch.com):

World Triathlon Corporation's P.R. head, Priscilla Fraiegari, confirmed that only yesterday morning professional cyclist Udo Bolts recieved confirmation he was entered into the Hawaiian Ironman. Today Triathlonlive.com learned that ex-pro cyclist Steve Hegg is also set to compete, and has been on the start list for some time.

Hegg, an American and an Olympic gold medalist in cycling in the 1984 Olympics, has been a friend and occasional training partner of top triathletes for years. He has been considering a retirement from professional cycling for the last two years, and finally traded in his single-sport status to give triathlon a try.

Bolts, a perennial Tour de France competitor for the Telekom team, will also give Kona a go. Initially his request for inclusion in the race was rejected by WTC, owners of the Ironman. But Fraiegari kept on lobbying for the affable German, and WTC president Lew Friedland finally relented. Several people contacted by Triathlonlive.com had positive reactions to Bolts' entrance into the race.

While WTC has come under occasional criticism for allowing some to compete in the race because of their status as personalities -- as opposed to athletes -- Bolts is a legitimate world-class endurance racer whose prowess on the bike will be the source of intrigue. As the race approaches the internet chat rooms and newsgroups will buzz with speculation over whether Bolts will have the fastest bike split. Both Bolts and Hegg -- the latter a time trial specialist -- will certainly feel comfortable on the bike leg. It is those pesky events just before and after that may be inconvenient.

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Tour de France's Bölts to race Hawaii?

August 15, 2000, Kona, Hawaii, USA (from correspondent Dirk Kantlehner for www.slowtwitch.com):

German pro cyclist Udo Bölts, from the German Team Telekom, will race the Hawaii Ironman on October 14, thanks -- apparently -- to a wildcard invitation from the World Triathlon Corp.

Bölts is best known for the words he once said to his teammate, Jan Ulrich, during the 1998 Tour de France: "Torment yourself, you (slow) pig!" A pro since 1989, his greatest successes were a ninth-place finish in the 1994 Tour de France, plus stage victories at both the Giro d´Italia and the Tour de Suisse.

Bölts will be the first pro cyclist to race the Hawaiian Ironman. Reports are that he initially was refused a wildcard entry, but received it on a second attempt -- with the support and backing of Ironman Europe race director Detlef Kühnel.

The WTC had turned down appeals for Hawaii slots for two other well-known Germans after the Ironman Europe race, Jürgen Zäck and Ute Mückel. Zäck, who DNFed with a bike mechanical less than 10k into the bike course, then won a slot when he won the Ironman Austria.

Ute Mückel was less lucky: Despite finishing third, and turning up at 2:40pm on the next day to indicate she wanted a slot, she learned it had already been given away -- in spite of the brochure telling her the slots were available between 1pm and 3pm.

Mückel is now making a last-shot bid at Hawaii by racing for a slot at the Ironman Canada on August 27.

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Hawaii Ironman doubles the winner’s share

April 1, 2000, Kona, Hawaii, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):

When World Triathlon Corp. president announced (and Triathlonlive.com reported) on February 28 that the total prize-money list for the 2000 Ironman Triathlon World Championships was being boosted by $75,000, he didn’t tell the specifics.

Now we know: Both winners will receive double the cash they did last year. The news of the new prize-money breakdown was announced out of Kona earlier this week. The lucky man and women who win in Kona next October 14 will each receive $70,000 in cash -- up from 1999’s $35,000 check -- plus a 2000-edition Isuzu Rodeo vehicle worth $30,000.

The total cash list is now up to $325,000. Noted Friedland: “We're committed to keeping Ironman the premier event in triathlon and
attracting the most talented athletes. This increase is our way of letting the athletes know that WTC and its sponsors will continue to work for the growth of the sport.”

The top-10 money winners will each get: $70,000 (1st); $25,000 (2nd), $20,000 (3rd), $15,000 (4th); $12,500 (5th); $7000 (6th); $4000 (7th); $3500 (8th); $3000 (9th); and $2500 (10th).

(RELATED STORY)

February 29, 2000, Sausilito, California, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):

Chuckie Veylupek, whose antics of drinking a beer during the last stage of the Hawaii Ironman drew him a ban on entering the 2000 race, issued this final statement last week. It posted originally on the Zootsports.com website:

Final statement from Zoot Sports athlete, the man himself, Chuckie V:

As many of you are aware, I have recently been banned from the 2000 Hawaii Ironman for my actions on the race course during the 1999 event. I broke three rules that day; 1) Accepting outside assistance. 2) Possessing glass on the race course. 3) Consuming alcohol during the race. All three infractions stem from a single event; at mile three I was offered, and accepted, a 32-ounce Steinlager beer from some of the many spectators lining the course. I carried the beer much of the remainder of my race.

I would like to apologize to the race organization for my actions and hold myself totally accountable. I never intended to bring the sport into disrepute, and these actions were never directed toward ridiculing the race organization in any way. I understand that I broke the rules, and that I should be penalized for such behavior. I accept my subsequent disqualification from the event. However, like many of the opinions posted on Tri-Digest and elsewhere, I also believe that a ban from this year's competition is too severe a penalty. Unfortunately, I have no choice but to accept WTC's ruling and shall do so accordingly.

I would also like to apologize to my sponsors, in particular Mike van Patten at NYPPe.com, Vito Bialla at Zootsports.com, and Gerard Vrooman at Cervelo.com for my error in judgment that day. Though they all back me on this one hundred percent, I am a professional triathlete and should act as such. Drinking beer during a race is anything but professional. Nonetheless, professional or not, it was the best damn beer I ever had. :-)

Ironman: $325,000 and two Isuzus, too

February 28, 2000, San Diego, California, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):

The world’s richest triathlon just got a bit richer.

Those who win the Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, next October 14 will drive away in new Isuzu Ironman-edition Rodeos.

And the entire prize purse for the rest of the field, including the winners (who also collect cash on top of the cars), has been increased by $75,000 to $325,000.

Those announcements were made on Saturday evening by World Triathlon Corp. president Lew Friedland in front of the most Ironman-savvy audience he could find -- the 600 who attended the Competitor Endurance Sports Award party at San Diego’s SeaWorld.

The cars -- valued at $58,000 -- are courtesy of Isuzu, Ironman’s presenting sponsor.

Chuckie V's ban to be reviewed

February 12, 2000, Tarpon Springs, Florida (www.slowtwitch.com):

Lew Friedland, president of the Florida-based World Triathlon Corp. that owns the Hawaii Ironman, has promised to personally review the events that led to the race's one-year ban on Chuckie V.

Friedland told Vito Bialla, whose company ZootSports is one of Chuck Veylupek's sponsors, that he would get back to him on Monday with an update after he studies the situation.

Bialla got involved after learning that Veylupek, one of America`s top Ironman triathletes, was retroactively disqualified, four days after the October 23 race. Once Ironman officials realized he had broken USAT rules by enjoying a beer as he walked much of the marathon, they DQed him and also stated he would be excluded from racing Hawaii in 2000.

News of the DQ and ban circulated widely only last week, and even Veylupek was unprepared for the whirlwind of sentiments that filled triathlon websites and Ironman chat-lists once the news broke. He has been training and racing the last several weeks in Chile, and has been out of e-mail range.

"I just recently found out about this -- computer access has been hard to find in Chile," Veylupek told Triathlonlive.com. "Let me say this ... it has hit me like a ton of bricks. I will first gather all information I can pertaining to this matter, and decide whether or not to take some sort of action (restriction of trade, etc.), if any."

Veylupek returns to the U.S. on Monday. It's expected he will make a formal
statement on the matter soon after that.

Chuckie V's ban only for 2000 Hawaii

February 8, 2000, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):

The reports that Chuck Veylupek has been banned from all World Triathlon Corp.-sanctioned Ironmans were "highly exaggerated," according to WTC public relations director Priscilla Fraiegari. While the offbeat and popular "Chuckie V" is indeed banned from racing in the 2000 Hawaii Ironman, that's as far as the ban extends, she said.

The Internet airwaves were buzzing a few days ago -- particularly the chat portion of the Ironman Canada website -- with somewhat incorrect information.

Said Fraiegari on Monday: "I have confirmed with (Hawaii race director) Sharron Ackles that Chuckie's ban is only for Hawaii and not any other WTC-sanctioned events."

The background is this: Veylupek - winner of Ironman Canada last August - had a poor race in Hawaii in October. He ended up walking much of the marathon, beer in hand and plenty of smiles for all spectators who cheered him on. That Chuckie V finished - assisted by a beer - quickly became a fun anecdote among the media as the evening wore on.

Cam Elford formally broke the story on Monday on the Inside Triathlon website of Chuckie's subsequent DQ -- hardly publicized after he was notified on October 23. Peter Bourne, one of the head officials at Ironman Hawaii, visited Boulder last week and chatted with Elford, leading to the first real reports of the penalties.

WTC clarified the ban this way: "Chuckie was disqualified from the 1999 Ironman Triathlon World Championship because he violated USAT rules 3.4d Unauthorized Assistance and 3.4j Glass Containers. He also broke WTC's rule against the consumption of alcoholic beverages by competitors. As a result of his actions, Chuckie received the DQ and is banned from racing in only Hawaii this year."

Veylupek himself has not responded to Triathlonlive.com inquiries about the matter.

Five Ironman triathlons in 2000 will be broadcast on ESPN-TV, the World
Triathlon Corp. has announced.

The television schedule will feature one-hour shows on the following dates:

- 1999 Isuzu Ironman Florida, shown on Sunday, April 23 at 2 p.m. EST.
Rebroadcast on Saturday, May 13, at 4 a.m.

- 2000 Ironman New Zealand, shown on Sunday, May 23 at 2:30 p.m. EST.
Rebroadcast on Friday, June 2, at 2 p.m.

- 2000 Isuzu Ironman California, shown on Saturday, June 17, at 3 p.m. EST.
Rebroadcast on Monday, July 3, at 1:30 p.m.

- 2000 Ironman Austria, shown on Sunday, September 24, 2 p.m. EST.
Rebroadcast on Friday, October 6, at 3:30 a.m.

- 2000 Isuzu Ironman Lake Placid on Sunday, October 22, at 4:30 p.m.
Rebroadcast on Tuesday, October 24, at 3 a.m.

Air dates and times are subject to change: Please check local listings.

Hellriegel to race Steel-Town-Man -- the half-Ironman portion

January 5, Linz, Austria (www.slowtwitch.com):

Thomas Hellriegel, the world's No. 4-ranked long-course triathlete, has committed to racing the half-Ironman at the Steel-Town-Man Triathlon in Linz, Austria, on August 6.

Steel-Town-Man has been a full-distance Ironman event since 1998, with an accompanying half-Ironman. It was originally a middle-distance race between 1994 and 1997.

Others who will be at the starting line in 2000 are Germany's Wolfgang Dittrich, the 1998 winner at the full-distance, and Hungary's Attila Fazekas (1999 full-Ironman winner).

Full details of the race may be found at http://www.steel-town-man.at.

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The World Triathlon Corp. is experiencing record registration for the three newest domestic Ironmans. Here's a summary of what has happened in the last few weeks

* For Ironman USA in Lake Placid, New York, on July 30, the race sold out as of November 24. The website indicates there are 1,900 competitors registered -- an increase from the 1,500 who started the first race last August 15.

* For Ironman California on May 20, there are also no more places available. The website indicates that there are 1,914 signed up, although pre-race material said the first-time race was limited to 1,500.

* For Ironman Florida on November 4, spaces are filling fast. As of late December, Ironman Florida had more than 800 registered. There were 1,549 starters in the first race on November 6.

Such entry trends are nothing surprising to Ironman organizers, if they take Ironman Canada as an example. As of August 27, just nine hours after registration opened (!), Ironman Canada filled up for 2000 -- with some 1,848 lucky racers allowed in.