February 5, 2002, Tarpon Springs, Florida (www.slowtwitch.com):
World Triathlon Corporation Announces Re-allocation of Ironman South Africa Slots
World Triathlon Corporation announced that the forty slots once available via the Ironman South Africa Triathlon have been re-allocated to three Ironman qualifying events, and that a special lottery for South African athletes has also been established.
Twenty of the slots for the October 19 Ironman Triathlon World Championship will be available at Ironman Germany, with five additional slots being made available at Ironman Australia. Stateside, the Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon will also receive an additional five slots.
The remaining 10 slots have been reserved for a special lottery that will be held for South African athletes only in conjunction with Ironman s international lottery. Interested athletes must apply before the February 28 deadline at http://www.myraceentry.com/ , Ironman Championship Lottery For South African Athletes, and submit the $35 (USD) non-refundable entry fee. Ten South Africans will be chosen in addition to the 50 slots currently offered through the international lottery.
WTC decided to redistribute the slots following the January 15 announcement that Ironman South Africa would be postponed to 2003.
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Ironman South Africa off for now, sort of
January 15, 2002, Cape Town, South Africa (www.slowtwitch.com):
Today World Triathlon Corporation confirmed reports which appeared in the TriBiz Reader last week, that Ironman South Africa has been called off for this year. The Ironman’s organizers, EventPro, have "postponed the event to 2003," said WTC’s Priscilla Fraiegari.
The culprit is the weak Rand, South Africa’s currency. Because prize money and WTC’s license fees are to be paid in U.S. dollars, the sponsor money needed could not be raised for what was fast becoming a popular stop on the Ironman circuit.
What is less clear, however, is whether there will or won’t be an event at all this year. One source in South Africa said, "There will still be a race of the same distance on... April 21 in Pretoria. It will not carry the IM status however."
A last-minute attempt to reach the race organizers regarding a non-Ironman race was unsuccessful. WTC has not heard of a non-licensed event, but such a race this year would not necessarily be unwelcome, says WTC’s Priscilla Fraiegari, "depending on who’s organizing an event, and if the athletes understand they aren’t racing for Ironman slots."
Fraiegari said that WTC remains concerned for South Africa’s athletes, who’d hoped to race, and that while Ironman South Africa’s 40 Kona slots will be allocated to other Ironman races, "South Africa’s athletes will be taken into account." The slot redistribution plan is expected to be announced within two weeks.
As for the event itself, Ironman South Africa doubled in its second year—last year—to approximately 700 athletes. Gerhard Mynhardt, the organizer of the event, said that the postponement was extremely disappointing, especially in view of the increase in the international interest in the Ironman South Africa triathlon. "We were expecting some of the very best international Ironman triathletes to compete. A great many South Africans were also preparing to race, resulting in an estimated 50% increase in the size of the field. In fact, I am confident that Ironman South Africa would have grown to one of the largest Ironman races outside of North America."
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Leder atones for Malaysia loss with runaway South Africa win
April 2, 2001, Cape Town, South Africa (www.slowtwitch.com):
Lothar Leder erased the bad taste in his mouth left by a poor performance in Malaysia with a solid victory at IM South Africa. Leder came home in 8:28:30 on a day made Iron-difficult by winds during the bike leg that gusted to 30mph.
South African Raynard Tissink lived up to the local hype by finishing a strong second in 8:37:30. Though Glen Gore has many wins in his native South Africa, and Jan Van Rooyen has shown great promise with his races during 2000––his first full year as a triathlete––Tissink was the subject of local buzz. IM South Africa director Gerhard Mynhardt said of Tissink before the race, "Raynard Tissink [is] certainly the best triathlete on a bike for a long time in South Africa... I would have put him up there to chase Spencer and Lothar."
Tissink and Leder trailed Gore out of the water, but Leder put his stamp on this race during the blustery bike ride. Tissink closed during the run, but eventually ran out of gas and hung on for second.
Charging hard in the run was duathlon specialist Felix Martinez from Spain. He finished third in 8:40:43 in his first official Ironman.
Jan van Rooyen overcame the bumps and bruises of a crash suffered during a major South African cycling race three weeks before the Ironman to finish fourth, in 8:41:50.
Last year's champ, Petr Vabrousek from the Czech Republic, was a questionable start after a freak bout with dehydration and heat exhaustion earlier in the week, requiring a trip to the hospital. But he gamely started anyway, and raced to fifth place, in a time better by almost ten minutes than his winning time of a year ago.
Nina Kraft led a strong German contingent out of the water and over the course to win in 9:33:11. Kraft, a strong swimmer, led wire-to-wire. In her first Ironman Belgium's tough and versatile Kathleen Smet placed second in her first Ironman, in 9:46:59.
(RESULTS)
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Spencer Smith lands in hospital on eve of race
April 2, 2001, Cape Town, South Africa (www.slowtwitch.com):
after three months of winter preparation followed by a twenty-hour journey, Spencer Smith's IM South Africa was over before it started. Ironically, after participating on a photo shoot with Petr Vabrousek, who'd just been released from the hospital, Smith was just a day or so away from entering one.
Smith cut his foot, or stepped on a sea urchin––he's not sure which––during a swim session in the ocean. The following day he felt a bit physically down. A day later he had a temperature of 104 fahrenheit.
He called the race director, who called the race doctor, who lifted Smith immediately to the hospital, where he stayed over the next two days. Smith contracted septicemia, which traveled up and through his leg and midsection.
He is out of danger and preparing for the trip home tomorrow, reportedly frustrated, but certainly okay.
There will be no change in his racing schedule, according to his coach Paul Huddle. Smith was scheduled to travel to Europe the day after competing in the Lake Perris triathlon in late April. He will race a season of short course triathlons in Europe, and then return to San Diego in late summer to prepare for Hawaii.
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Preview of IM South Africa's women's field
March 27, 2001, Cape Town, South Africa (www.slowtwitch.com):
Even more, perhaps, than in the men's race, Ironman South Africa's women's field features a talented batch of athletes representing an interesting mix of multisport disciplines.
Chief among proven long course veterans are some of Germany's best women. Katja Schumacher placed fourth in Ironman Switzerland last year, and has several strong Ironman performances under her belt. Her career race to this point has been her win at Roth in '98, in 9:27.
Nicole Leder, Lother's wife, had a fantastic race at Ironman Asia last year, winning in 9:48. But she had a tough time later on in Kona, finishing in 10:17. She's very talented, and is still learning how to race the Ironman distance.
Another German is in the field, certainly not known for her long-course skills, but a durable and rangy athlete nonetheless. Ulrike Blank was third in last October's XTerra World Championship, and was fourth place there the year before, and second the year before that. She is also a talented duathlete, a very good short course racer, and was even in the top five in last year's Winter Triathlon World Championship. She was 17th in the '99 Hawaiian Ironman in the one and only long result of hers we could find, in 9:58.
South Africa's own Dominique Donner is very used to winning in her country. She won there six times last year. She's been in the top three in the African Championships three years running. But she's a short-courser. Can she move up?
Dutchwoman Bianca Van Dijk is always hanging around. She was runner-up in Lanzarote to Lena Walkqvist in '98, sixth in Nice the last two years, and she was the winner at Embrun last year. She'll have to move up a step, though, to best this field.
It's generally not prudent to project an Iron-newcomer as winner. Ironvirgin though she may be, Belgium's Kathleen Smet is very fast, and very tough. She's the reigning European Champion in short course, beating the Olympic Gold and Bronze and medallists in the process. We can only find one long race to her credit: Nice, in 1999. How did she do? Jo King beat her for the win by one minute and eight seconds, 6:56 to 6:57. In this silver medal performance Smet bested the likes of Tara Lee Marshall by 27 minutes, and Robin Roocke by 37 minutes.
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Vabrousek rushed to hospital on eve of race
March 27, 2001, Cape Town, South Africa (www.slowtwitch.com):
Affable Petr Vabrousek’s dreams of winning the Isuzu Ironman South Africa Triathlon for a second consecutive time might be dashed. The 26-year old Czech triathlete was admitted to the hospital over the weekend and diagnosed with gastroenteritis and heatstroke.
Vabrousek, who is described by race organisers as being one of the fittest athletes in the world, had to be admitted to the Vergelegen Medi-Clinic in Somerset West in a wheel chair and was only released late on Monday. World-renowned endurance sports scientist, Professor Tim Noakes, event medical director, is currently closely monitoring Vabrousek’s condition.
Although Vabrousek is confident that he’ll recuperate enough to participate in the event, Noakes will only make a final decision on his fitness on Friday. "I’m feeling much better now and am determined to participate in the Isuzu Ironman South Africa. I’m here [in South Africa] to race and would be devastated if I cannot be part of this event on Saturday," says Vabrousek, who won last year’s event in 8 hours 54 minutes.
"The Ironman title is very special and all triathletes see it as a huge achievement. I’m not too fond of training, but I love racing and this course is spectacular, especially the first 20km of the bike leg between Gordon’s Bay and Rooi Els. The course has been adjusted to be faster this year and I’m sure that we can shorten the finishing time by at least 15 minutes," states Vabrousek.
According to race organiser Gerhard Mynhardt, it would be a blow if Vabrousek has to miss the race. "Petr is undeniably one of the top triathletes in the world. Last year he won both the South African and Asian Ironman triathlons and was runner-up in the Californian event. He’s also just finished two months of intensive training and was in peak condition to give the rest of the field a run for their money," reckons Mynhardt.
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Spencer Smith finally gets a tranquil winter
March 19, 2001, La Costa, California (www.slowtwitch.com):
Smith is 27 years old. He’s entering the middle years of a triathlon career. To those who’ve been in the sport awhile it seems just yesterday that he was a junior phenom, winning everything he entered. A lot has happened, though, in the hard years in between.
There was no tighter relationship in triathlon than that between Spencer and his father, Bill Smith. But the elder Smith succumbed to cancer three years ago. Then came the positive test for nandrolone after Smith’s fifth-place finish in his inaugural Hawaiian Ironman race. Smith spent a fortune defending himself against the ITU and USAT, prevailing in three court cases.
During that span he gave up on triathlon and picked up bike racing. He joined the Linda McCartney team and raced in Europe. After some highs and lows in that sport, and upon the welcome news that he was finally cleared to race in triathlon, he returned to his first love.
Now, finally, he’s spent a tranquil winter—if you consider Ironman training a tranquil way to while away the hours. The point is, he’s finally getting ready for a multisport season instead of dodging crashing bike racers or preparing for court appearances. This is his first such uncomplicated winter since 1997.
He leaves in three days for South Africa, where he’ll race in the Ironman against Lothar Leder, Petr Vabrousek, and Jan Van Rooyen. He’s not thinking about them. "I’m my own competition," he says. Specifically, he talks about his ability to dial in his nutrition during the race.
"In my first Ironman, I got a little bit lucky," he said. "I respected the race, and got through it OK." Smith was fifth in his first attempt in Kona and was eighth his second time around. He admitted that he "… didn’t get the nutrition right last year. I’ve got to satisfy myself that I can fix that." He’ll have two bottles on the back of his bike with 1,000 calories in each, sips of which he’ll take at prescribed intervals. That, plus the odd banana and Fig Newton, will hopefully allow him an intake of something just over 2,000 calories during the bike leg, or about 500 calories an hour. While this is the high side of what one can absorb during an Ironman, he’d rather err on the safe side.
As for the rest of his racing schedule, Smith is edging back into short-course racing between IM South Africa, on March 31, and IM Hawaii in October. Smith is a forgotten man in short course, but a look at the archives reminds us that he’s won three short-course Worlds—one as a junior, two as a senior.
Much of his race schedule is his way of honoring friendships and sponsors who’ve stuck with him. Upon his return from South Africa he’ll race the Big Rock Triathlon in Perris, Ca., in homage to Met-RX, his longtime sponsor. Then it’ll be off to Europe for short-course races in Portugal and Spain. (Like Lance Armstrong, Smith owns a condo in Spain and has his European training base there.) He’ll race in Holland, twice in England—mainly as an aid to his bike sponsor, Sigma—the European Championships, and hopefully, if he can generate enough points to enter, in the international-distance World Championships.
How did he enjoy his foray into bike racing? "It’s a harsh world," Smith said. "It’s not like triathlon. We really have a very civil sport. The athletes in triathlon are quite nice compared to many of the cyclists. A lot of those riders are bastards, to be honest. There are some mean bastards in bike racing.
"And it’s dangerous. When somebody like Jan Rehula gets injured, there is a lot of concern in the triathlon community. In bike racing that sort of thing happens all the time. It’s like water off a duck’s back. Just another episode in cycling."
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Krnavek spices already hot field
March 11, 2001, Vista, California (www.slowtwitch.com):
Whatever Ironman South Africa organizers did, it's worked. Last year's field of 357 told the familiar story of a new Ironman in an exotic location that can't draw numbers. With one month left to go before its sophomore year, race entries stood at 756. Obviously, this race––to be run on the 31st of March––has arrived.
Not only have the entry totals thickened up, so has the pro men's field. Last year it was a battle between Czech athlete Petr Vabrousek and South African Jan Van Rooyen, with the Czech edging out the local favorite 8:54 to 8:56. This year 8:54 won't be good enough.
Vabrousek returns. This year he battles top seed Lothar Leder, who is licking his wounds after getting embarrassed by lightly regarded (among the world's best IM men) Kiwi Bryan Rhodes in IM Malaysia. Leder will have to be much better in South Africa in order to beat a fit and hungry Spencer Smith, the 3-time Olympic distance World Champ who's just starting to figure out Ironman racing. Smith spent much of the winter in Tucson training with Jim Riccitello, and Jimmy says Spencer Smith is a monster right now.
Also in Malaysia, but racing on home soil, will be South Africa's Glen Gore. Gore was 5th here last year, and no-doubt wants to be top South African in this year's race. He's been South Africa's Michael Jordan (at least in triathlon) for a decade, and won't want to keep up the habit of being the second South African home in big international races.
Perhaps the most interesting entrant is an Iron-rookie who'll toe the start next to his countryman Vabrousek. Czech Republic's celebrated short-courser Martin Krnavek will debut in long racing this year, and has chosen South Africa for his maiden voyage. Krnavek is fast. He's been a top five finisher in Olympic distance World Championships two out of the last three years. He won a World Cup last year and was fourth in another.
Hanging around near the front lately has been Germany's Rolf Lautenbacher, fifth in Lanzarote in under nine hours, then a close second in Fredericia––site of this year's Long Course World Championship––in 8:40. He's raced a lot though: three full Ironmans and two halves last year. Does he have legs left?
Hungary's Tibor Lehmann is the best guy you never heard of. Get this for recent Ironman times: 8:14, 8:20, and 8:33. But these were recorded in IM Austria (his two best times) and in Almere, both very fast courses. Still, he's also gone 8:45 in IM Switzerland, and, like Lautenbacher, is always hanging around the front.
You've got to wonder, though, when and whether Jan Van Rooyen is going to move to the next level. He's only 27, and he hasn't been at game this very long. He won a big local Nice-distance race in '99 here in South Africa, spanking Glen Gore by six minutes. Following his second place in IM South Africa last year he finished fourth in IM Australia in 8:42. Then he went to Hawaii and finished a very respectable 11th place with a time of 8:48.
More about Van Rooyen: Last year's IM South Africa was his first Ironman. Prior to that he was an ultradistance runner, specializing in the one––the only––long distance footrace in South African that means anything (and it means everything): Comrades Marathon. It is the world's largest ultra run, with as many as 24,000 competitors. It's a 54-mile race, takes place annually in June, and is run between Durban and Pietermaritzburgand. It's been going on 74 years. Van Rooyen's run it many times. His first Comrades was as a teenager. In 1998 he was 11th place overall.
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From the South-side up: Another way to look at Ironmans
October 4, 2000, Vista, California, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):
Triathlonlive.com and Slowtwitch.com -- sister sites -- are announcing a new joint site, called Southernman. "It's our attempt to lure North American and European athletes to Southern-hemisphere Ironman races," said Slowtwitch publisher Dan Empfield.
Currently the site is promoting the Isuzu Ironman South Africa for its second running on March 31, 2001, near Cape Town. There is the usual, basic Ironman information: How to enter, where to stay, what the course is like. But beyond that, there's all the information that would convince an Ironman or woman to choose, say, South Africa over another Ironman -- and these days, there is no shortage of Ironmans to choose from.
Said Empfield: "We're trying make it as easy as possible for people to choose a Southern Hemisphere race. We tell them everything they need to know, from what shots they need, to visas, to flight and sight-seeing options, and all that.
"To get them ready, we'll kick off a training schedule that'll take them through the winter, which we'll update every week or so.
"We're also going to do a finance comparison chart -- to show that traveling to South Africa and doing the race is about equal money with traveling from one U.S. coast to the other to do a U.S. race.
"And we're going to do an IQ analysis, to show how much easier it is to qualify (for Hawaii) at a Southern Hemisphere race -- and then how much better an athlete would perform in Hawaii -- if he gives himself all the extra time to prepare (March to October, instead of May, or July, or August to October)."
Ironman South Africa is the first Southern-hemisphere race that the Southernman site is promoting. It all starts here.
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Ironman South Africa ups its Kona-qualifier slots
October 1, 2000, Gordon's Bay, Western Cape, South Africa (www.slowtwitch.com):
It was exactly one year ago -- October 4, 1999 -- when the Isuzu Ironman South Africa was announced for the international calendar. The foray into February -- it took place on February 5, 2000 -- was as much an unknown journey for the organizers, as it was for all the triathletes who took part.
It proved to be the biggest thing to hit the South African triathlon scene in years. Entrants flew in from 22 countries, and 227 of the race's 357 competitors came directly from South Africa. The field was small, relative to other established Ironmans, but the race as an international entity carried such promise as the day unfolded.
It had a celebrated pair of winners, Czech Republic's Petr Vabrousek and USA's Paula Newby-Fraser. It also had 18 qualifying slots for the Hawaii Ironman. Jan Van Rooyen, the South African runner-up, is the most prominent of those 18 fleet-footed triathletes who will take advantage of qualifying for Kona and race there on October 14.
This time around, for the second running of Ironman South Africa, there are a few developments that put the race even more center-stage for 2001.
First of all, the date has switched from early-February to March 31, 2001. The later date should provide a cooler day, as the southern hemisphere leaves summer and turns toward fall.
But just as important for qualifying-minded triathletes who want every break possible to help them get to Hawaii, the race has increased its "Hawaii slots" to an incredible 40.
For the fastest among them, prize money will total $35,000, also an increase from 1999's initial offering of $25,000.
The closing date for entries is January 31 -- two months in advance of the race.
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Ironman South Africa: No more relays
April 6, 2000, Gordon's Bay, Western Cape, South Africa (www.slowtwitch.com):
The second edition of Ironman South Africa, announced for March 31, 2001, will drop its team element and reflect Ironman's original intentions as a race solely for individual efforts.
The first Ironman South Africa in February attracted 357 starters for the full race, plus 68 relay teams.
"Ironman triathlon is a test of individual mental and physical ability and endurance," race organizer Gerhard Mynhardt said in announcing the change. "We included a relay team event as part of our first Ironman triathlon for a number of reasons. However, we always intended the team event to be part of Ironman South Africa for the first year only.
"We were encouraged at the high finishing rate of the first-time Ironman-distance South African entrants. We also believe that many of the team entrants can now migrate to the full Ironman event, and experience the exhilaration of completing an Ironman triathlon on their own."
The 2001 race will pay 200,000 rands in prize money -- about US$30,427, according to the current exchange race.
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Ironman South Africa: The women's race
February 7, 2000, Gordon's Bay, Western Cape, South Africa (www.slowtwitch.com):
It was quite a homecoming for Paula Newby-Fraser. In 1986 Paula moved
from her native of South Africa to the U.S. with the dream of becoming a professional triathlete. Paula won the inaugural Ironman South Africa on Sunday (SA time) in impressive fashion given the difficulty of the race course and the huge media demands on her time from the moment she stepped off the plane.
Paula summed up her race this way: " It was a pretty easy day at the
office - I felt great all day. I didn't have to push the run since my lead kept growing. The girl who finished second is a pro cyclist (she rides the Cannondale team in the U.S.) and she was pretty impressive. Lucky the race was yesterday; it would have been cancelled today (Monday) due to the wind - Lanzarote times 10!"
The second place finisher, Anke Erlank (age 22), has won a number of triathlons but is mostly known as South Africa's best female cyclist. Included in her resume is a 15th place finish in the Tour de France Femmin in 1999. South Africa was Paula's 22 Ironman Triathlon Championship.
Results:
1. Paula Newby-Fraser (USA), 9:57:23 52:28 5:33:54 3:27:07
2. Anke Erlank (RSA), 10:20:03 56:59 5:32:39 3:45:44
3. Belinda Cheney (AUS), 10:39:06
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Vabrousek steals Ironman South Africa
February 5, 2000, Gordon’s Bay, Western Cape, South Africa (www.slowtwitch.com):
The first Ironman South Africa nearly had a South African winner on Saturday -- and it definitely had a dramatic finish. Czech Petr Vabrousek passed local running hero Jan Van Rooyen in the finishing strait to win -- after Van Rooyen, an established Comrades Marathon competitor, suddenly started walking with just a few hundred yards to go.
Vabrousek won by 90 seconds. His time, 8:54:35, reflected a combination of factors -- a difficult course, plus troubling heat and wind -- that immediately cast this Ironman in the same league as both Lanzarote and Hawaii.
While Van Rooyen’s sudden fall to second was stunning for the home crowd, which had wished for a local winner in the face of considerable international competition, South African-raised Paula Newby-Fraser gave them what they wanted by taking the women’s title. She won in 9:57:23, about 23 minutes in front of South Africa’s Anke Erlank.
While Newby-Fraser is the world’s most winning and celebrated Ironwoman, Erlank and Van Rooyen represent a new cast of South African talent. Not a single South African man or woman in the elite field had ever raced a full Ironman, as there was never before an Ironman-distance race within Africa. In fact, Van Rooyen made the transition to triathlon after finishing 11th in the Comrades Marathon last year, and Erlank is an accomplished pro cyclist who races for an American team.
That three South African men finished in the top-10 was a tremendous boost for South Africa’s sporting pride. The country’s sporting heritage has been remarkable for its endurance orientation, thanks to the 75-year-old, 52-mile Comrades Marathon that draws as many as 10,000 runners each June.
“Today we had three South African finishers in our first Ironman,” race director Gerhard Mynhardt said about 10 hours into the day, which would stretch the full 17-hours. “We are quite pleased with that.”
“Of course, we are all as disappointed for Jan as he was, because we were all so sure he would win. He wanted to win for South Africa, and show the international athletes that we have some good guys as well. He was bitterly disappointed, until I reminded him that he had qualified for Hawaii. Then he was smiling from ear to ear.”
The race, one of four new ones to the WTC family in 2000, offered $25,000 in prize money and three Hawaii Ironman qualifying slots for pros. Those went to Vabrousek, Van Rooyen and Newby-Fraser.
The race had 357 starters from 23 countries, including American wheelchair racer Randy Caddell, attempting his eighth Ironman -- and the first of eight Ironmans he plans to do in 2000. But Caddell had to withdraw after 56 miles (one loop) of the bike course. “There are many hills on this course, and it just became too difficult for him,” Mynhardt said.
Another DNF was Germany’s Stefan Holzner, which local media had dubbed as the pre-race favorite. Although he was an early and strong leader on the run, Holzner just as suddenly faded.
Ironman South Africa
February 5, Gordon’s Bay, Western Cape, South Africa
3.8k S, 190k B, 42.2k R
Men
1. Petr Vabrousek (CZE), 8:54:35
2. Jan Van Rooyen (RSA), 8:56:05
3. Minna Odeman (NED), 8:58:57
4. Yves Cordier (FRA), 9:06:00
5. Glen Gore (RSA), 9:10:23
6. Hubert Hamerl (AUT), 9:25:38
7. Makato Imaida (JPN), 9:32:23
8. Tom Schwob (SUI), 9:36:09
9. Nic Bester (RSA), 9:40:03
10. Raynard Tissink (RSA), 9:52:18
DNF (apparently): Stefan Holzner.
Women
1. Paula Newby-Fraser (USA), 9:57:23
2. Anke Erlank (RSA), 10:20:03
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Showdown for first Ironman South Africa
February 3, 2000, Gordon's Bay, Western Cape, South Africa (www.slowtwitch.com):
South Africa's best long-distance triathletes finally have a Hawaii qualifier and full Ironman race of their own, the Ironman South Africa on Saturday. But they also have on hand some of the world's very best long-distance triathletes, including one who posted the sixth-fastest, and another the 11th-fastest, Ironman times of 1999.
Those fast credentials belong to the Czech Republic's Petr Vabrousek, whose 8:04:11 in Almere ranked the sixth-fastest performance of last year; and Germany's Stefan Holzner, whose 8:09:29 in Ironman Austria ranked the 11th-fastest race of last year.
They will be leading 28 pro men and six women, including the USA's Paula Newby-Fraser. Newby-Fraser is the most celebrated racer in the field because it marks her return to her native South Africa.
The men's field includes 12 South Africans. While relatively known within South African triathlon circles, none of them have any international Ironman credentials. Given the poor exchange rate for the rand, and the considerable expense to travel anywhere from South Africa, they have merely stayed home and raced each other for years.
Before this Ironman, South Africa's longest race was something each March called the Voltaren Emulgel Iron Man. The distances are 3.2k swim, 120k bike and 32k run, and the winners take about six hours. The top two finishers in last year's Voltaren Emulgel event, Jay Van Rooyen (5:52:27) and Glen Gore (5:58:43), are lining up for the longer race on Saturday.
A late entrant in the field is Austria's Norbert Domnik, who has been training near Cape Town for the last three weeks. And a late scratch on the women's side is Canada's Jacqueline Lewis, who didn't travel at the last minute because of an illness in her family.
Here is the full pro field, as of Thursday:
- Men from South Africa: Nick Bester, Pierre Bonnet, Lieuwe Boonstra, Antony Ceruti, John De Bryn, Glen Gore, Mauritz Jansen Van Rensburg, Eric Leach, Wynand Olivier, Hein Prinsloom, Raynard Tissink, Jan Van Rooyen
- Men from Argentina: Lester Massiglia
- Men from Austria: Norbert Domnik
- Men from Brazil: Adelson Carneiro
- Men from Canada: Fred Biondi
- Men from Czech Republic: Petr Vabrousek
- Men from Denmark: Mogens Jensen
- Men from France: Yves Cordier
- Men from Germany: Stefan Holzner
- Men from Japan: Makoto Imaida
- Men from Netherlands: Menno Oudeman
- Men from Slovenia: Miro Kregar
- Men from Sweden: Jonas Colting, Martin Eriksson
- Men from Switzerland: Tom Schwob
- Men from USA: James Bonney, John Delascurain
- Women from South Africa: Anke Erlank, Sonja Terblanche
- Women from Australia: Belinda Cheney
- Women from Germany: Astrid Benohr
- Women from USA: Leslie Bentson, Paula Newby-Fraser
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Paula Newby-Fraser for Ironman South Africa
January 18, 2000, Gordon's Bay, South Africa (www.slowtwitch.com):
Paula Newby-Fraser, Ironman's most decorated woman ever, will return to her South African homeland to headline the Ironman South Africa field on February 5. The list was announced just after the January 17 entry deadline.
She leads a list of seven pro women and 27 pro men for the first-ever race in Gordon's Bay, Western Cape.
Top men include Germany's Stefan Holzner, third in the 1999 Ironman Austria (but a DNF in Hawaii last year); and Czech Republic's Petr Vabrousek, second in the Almere Triathlon in September (and also a DNF in Hawaii).
The others who will race for the US$25,000 in prize money:
Men - Nick Bester (RSA), Fred Biondi (CAN), Pierre Bonnet (RSA), James Bonney (USA), Lieuwe Boonstra (RSA), Antony Ceruti (RSA), Yves Cordier (FRA), John De Bryn (RSA), John Delascurain (USA), Martin Eriksson (SWE), Glen Gore (RSA), Stefan Holzner (GER), Makoto Imaida (JPN), Mauritz Jansen Van Rensburg (RSA), Mogens Jensen (DEN), Miro Kregar (SLO), Freddy Lampret (RSA), Eric Leach (RSA), Lester Massiglia (ARG), Wynand Olivier (RSA), Menno Oudeman (NED), Hein Prinsloo (RSA), Adelson Carneiro (BRA), Tom Schwob (SUI), Raynard Tissink (RSA), Petr Vabrousek (CZE), Jan Van Rooyen (RSA).
Women - Astrid Benohr (GER), Leslie Bentson (USA), Belinda Cheney (AUS), Anke Erlank (RSA), Jacqueline Lewis (CAN), Paula Newby-Fraser (USA), Sonja Terblanche (RSA).
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