Kona Age-Group Coverage

Here’s a look at the past champions who’ll be back this year to seek another age-group win in the lava fields:

Men 18-24:
If you want to find out where the pros come from, this is one age-group category to look in. In 1998, Eric Bean of the U.S. took the title in 9:35; he is racing here as a pro this year. In 1999, the age-group champion was Jan Strangmuller of Czechoslovakia in 9:09. Last year’s second-place finisher Daniel Blankenfuland of Germany (9:12) is back, as is fifth-place finisher Luciano Grimaldi of Argentina (9:36).

Women 18-24
Last year’s winner, Veronica Avene of Argentina, is back to defend the title she won in 10:19. Also returning from last year’s top 10 is Elizabeth Anderson of the U.S., who finished in fourth with a 10:46, Desiree Ficker of the U.S., who was sevetnth in 11:15, and Lokelani McMichael, tenth in 11:47. If her name sounds familiar, it should. She holds the record for the youngest finisher (18) in the Ironman with her 15:21 in 1995.

Men 25-29
The champion of the past two years, Kai-Michael Roeckert of Germany (8:55 in ’99 and 9:11 in ’98) is back, but in another age group: men’s 30-34. Last year’s top-10 finishers Didier Curtet of France, who finished fourth with a 9:09, and sixth place finisher Tim Luchinske of the U.S., who finished sixth in 9:10, are back.

Women 25-29
Last year’s champion, Michelle Deasy of the U.S. (10:01), is back, but she’s racing as a pro. That leaves last year’s second-place finisher Carolyn Lowe-Thompson of the U.S. (10:17) as the sole representative of last year’s top 10. Well, except for last year’s ninth-place finisher, Tjasa Crofoot of the U.S., who went 10:52. But she’s racing as a pro this year.

Men 30-34
Last year’s champion, Alexander Lang of Germany (8:56), is back to defend his title. Also returning are Michal Pilousek of the Czech Republic, who was third in 9:08, and fifth-place finisher Siegfried Ferstl of Germany, who went 9:11. Roberto Lemos of Brazil, the 1998 champion in 9:13, and 1998’s second-place finisher, Harald Feierabend of Germany (9:15), will be duking it out as professionals this year.

Women 30-34
Three of this age group’s top finishers have turned pro: Laura Drake of the U.S., last year’s champion in 10:19 (a record in the age group), sixth-place finisher Christine Heilmann of the U.S. (10:39), and 1998’s second-place finisher, Kristen Johnson of the U.S., who went 10:33 that year. Second-place finisher in 1999, Yuko Hori of Japan (10:21), is back, as is last year’s third-place finisher, Martina Lang of Germany (10:28). And look out, women 35-39: aging up are Francoise Wellekens of Belgium, last year’s seventh-place finisher (10:48), and her countrywoman Florence Crowet, who finished eighth in 1999 with a 10:51 and third in 1998 with a 10:53.

Men 35-39
The champion from 1998, Daniel Dethier of Luxembourg (9:15), is back but racing as a pro. Returning from last year’s top 10 are third-place finisher Frank-Paul Muschalek of Germany (9:23) and seventh-place finisher Kimihito Nishikawa of Japan (9:37). Eighth-place finisher Brian Keast of Canada (9:38) has become a master, and returns to challenge those guys.

Women 35-39
Sandy Gresko of the U.S., who won her age-group here in 1998 and 1999 (10:38 and 10:13 respectively) is back for another go at the top spot, as are last year’s sixth-place finisher, Bodil Arlander of Finland (10:50), and ninth-place finisher, Kara Hughes of the U.S. (11:06). But look out, women masters: 1998’s second-place finisher, Alisa Goughnour of the U.S. (10:41), and third-place finisher, Linda Nelson of the U.S. (10:49), are now in YOUR neck of the woods. Also aging up was last year’s seventh-place finisher, Maria-Teresa Raether of Germany (10:52).

Men 40-44
Chuck Sperazza of the U.S. (9:26), last year’s second-place finisher and 1998’s third-place finisher (9:35), is back. Also back is 1998’s second-place finisher, Donald Fink of the U.S. (9:30), along with eighth-place finisher Jurgen Siebenborn of Germany (9:48). Men in this age group must also be breathing a sigh of relief to see that Joe Bonness of the U.S. (fourth here last year in 9:28) has aged up. So has last year’s ninth-place finisher, Kevin Moats of the U.S. (9:49).

Women 40-44
Back this year are Kelly Molaski of the U.S., who was fifth here in ’99 with a 10:49 and second in ’98 with an 11:13, and Kathleen Hughes of the U.S., who was third last year with a 10:46 and third in ’98 with an 11:16.

Men 45-49
This year’s race features past champions from the last two years: Last year’s winner Cliff Rigsbee of the U.S. (9:39) and 1998’s champion Kalli Nottrodt of Germany (9:43), who came second last year in a time of 9:47. Ah, but Joe Bonness is in this age group, too, now. Also returning from ’99 are fifth-place finisher Luis Carlos Ribeiro of Brazil (10:00) and eighth-place finisher Steve Zambito of the U.S. (10:09).

Women 45-49
Missy LeStrange of the U.S. is back. Last year, she again won her age group—that’s 11 times for that feat—in a time of 10:51. She also broke her own course record last year, making her as formidable as ever. Back for another try at the course are Magdalena Lobbert of Germany, who finished second to LeStrange in 1998 with a time of 11:24. Also returning: Trynie Roozendaal of the Netherlands, fifth last year in 12:14, and Mary Jo Stevenson of the U.S., tenth last year in 13:18.

Men 50-54
This is shaping up to be a super-competitive race. Hansjorg Fassler of Switzerland, last year’s seventh-place finisher (10:47) and the winner in ’98 (10:26) is back, as is his runner-up in ’98, Steven Smith of the U.S. (10:40). A bunch from the top 10 last year are also returning, including second-place finisher Nino Michelon of Austria (10:08), third-place finisher Allan Pitman of Australia (10:20), fifth-place finisher Jack Boyster of the U.S. (10:39), and Fred Clayton of the U.S. (10:54).

Women 50-54
Defending champions are back from ’99 and ’98. Lesley Cens-McDowell of the U.S. took the title in 1998 with a 12:05; last year that honor went to Diane Ridgway of the U.S. with a 12:06. Also returning from last year’s top ten are Cullen Goodyear of Canada, who finished third with a 12:59, Jo Adamson of the U.S., who finished fourth with a 13:08, and Lesley Tuggle of the U.S., who finished eighth with a 13:50.

Men 55-59
A number of top finishers have returned, but defending champion Bruce Buchanan of the U.S. (10:46) has aged up, and 1998 champ Esko Stromsholm of Finland (10:55) is not back this year. That leaves the race open for 1998’s second-place finisher, Pierre Manz of Switzerland (11:32), and several top-ten finishers from last year—Takahisa Mitsumori of Japan, who placed third with an 11:06; Vic Birtalan of the U.S., who finished fourth with an 11:15; Bernard Girold of New Caledonia, who finished sixth with an 11:28; and Michael Keiser of the U.S., who finished eighth with an 11:56.

Women 55-59
Defending champion Cherie Gruenfeld of the U.S. is back to defend her title, which she won in 11:58. She also was a third-place finisher (12:13) in the 50-54 age group in 1998, three minutes behind triathlon legend Sally Edwards, no less. A few things to note about that 11:58 last year: It put her in the Ironman history books as the first 50-plus woman to go under 12 hours, was a personal best in Kona, and, oh yeah, was a course record.

Men 60-64
Richard Clark of the U.S. is back to defend his title from 1999, which he took in a time of 11:35. Bruce Buchanan, champion of the 55-59 last year, will take him on in what is a new age group for him. Also returning is Jon Adamson of the U.S., last year’s fourth-place finisher with a 12:23.

Women 60-64
Returning this year for another battle with the lava fields are 1998’s third-place finisher, Harriet Anderson of the U.S. (15:54), and Mickie Shapiro, also of the U.S., who finished fifth last year in a time of 16:29.

Men 65-69
France Cokan of Slovenia is back—he finished second last year with a 14:22 and first in ’98 with a 13:13. Also returning is Keiichiro Nakahara of Japan, who finished eighth last year in 15:01. Remarkably, three top finishers have aged up, proving yet again that age is just a number: Bob Scott of the U.S., last year’s champion in 13:37; Winston Allen of the U.S., who went 14:25 for third place in ’98; and Lewis Hollander Jr. of the U.S., who went 14:52 last year for seventh place.

Women 65-69
Sister Madonna Buder of the U.S., champion in ’99 (14:42) and ’98 (16:42) has aged up. Watch for Katie Knight-Perry of the U.S. here.

Men 70-74
This is one tough age group. Three top finishers from the 65-69 age group have moved in. Returning from last year is fifth-place finisher Bill Albrecht of the U.S. (15:42); he also finished second in ’98 with a 15:21. Ken Nash of the U.S., who went 16:10 last year for sixth place, is also back. The third-place finisher from ’98, Robert McKeague of the U.S. (15:51), has aged up.

Women 70-74
Sister Madonna Buder is here, now. Look for a strong finish from her, but also look out for Ethel Autorino of the U.S.

Men 75-plus
Bill Bell is back; he took his age group here last year with a 16:38. Max Burdick of the U.S. is racing, too. They’ll have some competition from Robert McKeague, a newcomer to their age group who went 15:51 in ’98 as a 70-74.






			G	AGE GROUP RACING AGE-GROUP POST-RACE REDUX DANCE OF THE GREEN LANTERNS AGE GROUP DOPE SHEET AGE GROUP FEATURES AGE GROUP DOPE SHEET Here’s a look at the past champions who’ll be back this year to seek another age-group win in the lava fields: Men 18-24: If you want to find out where the pros come from, this is one age-group category to look in. In 1998, Eric Bean of the U.S. took the title in 9:35; he is racing here as a pro this year. In 1999, the age-group champion was Jan Strangmuller of Czechoslovakia in 9:09. Last year’s second-place finisher Daniel Blankenfuland of Germany (9:12) is back, as is fifth-place finisher Luciano Grimaldi of Argentina (9:36). Women 18-24 Last year’s winner, Veronica Avene of Argentina, is back to defend the title she won in 10:19. Also returning from last year’s top 10 is Elizabeth Anderson of the U.S., who finished in fourth with a 10:46, Desiree Ficker of the U.S., who was sevetnth in 11:15, and Lokelani McMichael, tenth in 11:47. If her name sounds familiar, it should. She holds the record for the youngest finisher (18) in the Ironman with her 15:21 in 1995. Men 25-29 The champion of the past two years, Kai-Michael Roeckert of Germany (8:55 in ’99 and 9:11 in ’98) is back, but in another age group: men’s 30-34. Last year’s top-10 finishers Didier Curtet of France, who finished fourth with a 9:09, and sixth place finisher Tim Luchinske of the U.S., who finished sixth in 9:10, are back. Women 25-29 Last year’s champion, Michelle Deasy of the U.S. (10:01), is back, but she’s racing as a pro. That leaves last year’s second-place finisher Carolyn Lowe-Thompson of the U.S. (10:17) as the sole representative of last year’s top 10. Well, except for last year’s ninth-place finisher, Tjasa Crofoot of the U.S., who went 10:52. But she’s racing as a pro this year. Men 30-34 Last year’s champion, Alexander Lang of Germany (8:56), is back to defend his title. Also returning are Michal Pilousek of the Czech Republic, who was third in 9:08, and fifth-place finisher Siegfried Ferstl of Germany, who went 9:11. Roberto Lemos of Brazil, the 1998 champion in 9:13, and 1998’s second-place finisher, Harald Feierabend of Germany (9:15), will be duking it out as professionals this year. Women 30-34 Three of this age group’s top finishers have turned pro: Laura Drake of the U.S., last year’s champion in 10:19 (a record in the age group), sixth-place finisher Christine Heilmann of the U.S. (10:39), and 1998’s second-place finisher, Kristen Johnson of the U.S., who went 10:33 that year. Second-place finisher in 1999, Yuko Hori of Japan (10:21), is back, as is last year’s third-place finisher, Martina Lang of Germany (10:28). And look out, women 35-39: aging up are Francoise Wellekens of Belgium, last year’s seventh-place finisher (10:48), and her countrywoman Florence Crowet, who finished eighth in 1999 with a 10:51 and third in 1998 with a 10:53. Men 35-39 The champion from 1998, Daniel Dethier of Luxembourg (9:15), is back but racing as a pro. Returning from last year’s top 10 are third-place finisher Frank-Paul Muschalek of Germany (9:23) and seventh-place finisher Kimihito Nishikawa of Japan (9:37). Eighth-place finisher Brian Keast of Canada (9:38) has become a master, and returns to challenge those guys. Women 35-39 Sandy Gresko of the U.S., who won her age-group here in 1998 and 1999 (10:38 and 10:13 respectively) is back for another go at the top spot, as are last year’s sixth-place finisher, Bodil Arlander of Finland (10:50), and ninth-place finisher, Kara Hughes of the U.S. (11:06). But look out, women masters: 1998’s second-place finisher, Alisa Goughnour of the U.S. (10:41), and third-place finisher, Linda Nelson of the U.S. (10:49), are now in YOUR neck of the woods. Also aging up was last year’s seventh-place finisher, Maria-Teresa Raether of Germany (10:52). Men 40-44 Chuck Sperazza of the U.S. (9:26), last year’s second-place finisher and 1998’s third-place finisher (9:35), is back. Also back is 1998’s second-place finisher, Donald Fink of the U.S. (9:30), along with eighth-place finisher Jurgen Siebenborn of Germany (9:48). Men in this age group must also be breathing a sigh of relief to see that Joe Bonness of the U.S. (fourth here last year in 9:28) has aged up. So has last year’s ninth-place finisher, Kevin Moats of the U.S. (9:49). Women 40-44 Back this year are Kelly Molaski of the U.S., who was fifth here in ’99 with a 10:49 and second in ’98 with an 11:13, and Kathleen Hughes of the U.S., who was third last year with a 10:46 and third in ’98 with an 11:16. Men 45-49 This year’s race features past champions from the last two years: Last year’s winner Cliff Rigsbee of the U.S. (9:39) and 1998’s champion Kalli Nottrodt of Germany (9:43), who came second last year in a time of 9:47. Ah, but Joe Bonness is in this age group, too, now. Also returning from ’99 are fifth-place finisher Luis Carlos Ribeiro of Brazil (10:00) and eighth-place finisher Steve Zambito of the U.S. (10:09). Women 45-49 Missy LeStrange of the U.S. is back. Last year, she again won her age group—that’s 11 times for that feat—in a time of 10:51. She also broke her own course record last year, making her as formidable as ever. Back for another try at the course are Magdalena Lobbert of Germany, who finished second to LeStrange in 1998 with a time of 11:24. Also returning: Trynie Roozendaal of the Netherlands, fifth last year in 12:14, and Mary Jo Stevenson of the U.S., tenth last year in 13:18. Men 50-54 This is shaping up to be a super-competitive race. Hansjorg Fassler of Switzerland, last year’s seventh-place finisher (10:47) and the winner in ’98 (10:26) is back, as is his runner-up in ’98, Steven Smith of the U.S. (10:40). A bunch from the top 10 last year are also returning, including second-place finisher Nino Michelon of Austria (10:08), third-place finisher Allan Pitman of Australia (10:20), fifth-place finisher Jack Boyster of the U.S. (10:39), and Fred Clayton of the U.S. (10:54). Women 50-54 Defending champions are back from ’99 and ’98. Lesley Cens-McDowell of the U.S. took the title in 1998 with a 12:05; last year that honor went to Diane Ridgway of the U.S. with a 12:06. Also returning from last year’s top ten are Cullen Goodyear of Canada, who finished third with a 12:59, Jo Adamson of the U.S., who finished fourth with a 13:08, and Lesley Tuggle of the U.S., who finished eighth with a 13:50. Men 55-59 A number of top finishers have returned, but defending champion Bruce Buchanan of the U.S. (10:46) has aged up, and 1998 champ Esko Stromsholm of Finland (10:55) is not back this year. That leaves the race open for 1998’s second-place finisher, Pierre Manz of Switzerland (11:32), and several top-ten finishers from last year—Takahisa Mitsumori of Japan, who placed third with an 11:06; Vic Birtalan of the U.S., who finished fourth with an 11:15; Bernard Girold of New Caledonia, who finished sixth with an 11:28; and Michael Keiser of the U.S., who finished eighth with an 11:56. Women 55-59 Defending champion Cherie Gruenfeld of the U.S. is back to defend her title, which she won in 11:58. She also was a third-place finisher (12:13) in the 50-54 age group in 1998, three minutes behind triathlon legend Sally Edwards, no less. A few things to note about that 11:58 last year: It put her in the Ironman history books as the first 50-plus woman to go under 12 hours, was a personal best in Kona, and, oh yeah, was a course record. Men 60-64 Richard Clark of the U.S. is back to defend his title from 1999, which he took in a time of 11:35. Bruce Buchanan, champion of the 55-59 last year, will take him on in what is a new age group for him. Also returning is Jon Adamson of the U.S., last year’s fourth-place finisher with a 12:23. Women 60-64 Returning this year for another battle with the lava fields are 1998’s third-place finisher, Harriet Anderson of the U.S. (15:54), and Mickie Shapiro, also of the U.S., who finished fifth last year in a time of 16:29. Men 65-69 France Cokan of Slovenia is back—he finished second last year with a 14:22 and first in ’98 with a 13:13. Also returning is Keiichiro Nakahara of Japan, who finished eighth last year in 15:01. Remarkably, three top finishers have aged up, proving yet again that age is just a number: Bob Scott of the U.S., last year’s champion in 13:37; Winston Allen of the U.S., who went 14:25 for third place in ’98; and Lewis Hollander Jr. of the U.S., who went 14:52 last year for seventh place. Women 65-69 Sister Madonna Buder of the U.S., champion in ’99 (14:42) and ’98 (16:42) has aged up. Watch for Katie Knight-Perry of the U.S. here. Men 70-74 This is one tough age group. Three top finishers from the 65-69 age group have moved in. Returning from last year is fifth-place finisher Bill Albrecht of the U.S. (15:42); he also finished second in ’98 with a 15:21. Ken Nash of the U.S., who went 16:10 last year for sixth place, is also back. The third-place finisher from ’98, Robert McKeague of the U.S. (15:51), has aged up. Women 70-74 Sister Madonna Buder is here, now. Look for a strong finish from her, but also look out for Ethel Autorino of the U.S. Men 75-plus Bill Bell is back; he took his age group here last year with a 16:38. Max Burdick of the U.S. is racing, too. They’ll have some competition from Robert McKeague, a newcomer to their age group who went 15:51 in ’98 as a 70-74. AGE GROUP FEATURES NORTON DAVEY ANJELICA CASTANEDA VICKIE ALEXANDER NORTON DAVEY I met up with Norton in the L.A. airport. Norton Davey is 82-years-young, and if he finishes the race he'll break the late Jim Ward's record of 77-years and a few months, and become the oldest person to finish the Hawaiian Ironman. Of course there is no doubt he'd have that record several times over, except for the inconvenient time limit. Norton has no worry about finishing the race, it's the bike cut-off time he frets over. Imagine that. An 82-year-old man concerned that after swimming 2.4 miles, he's not quite sure he can get through 112-miles of bike riding in time enough to be afforded the privilage of starting a marathon run. I asked Norton how he gets into the race. He used to make it legitimately, through qualifying, he says. Now he has to resort to the lottery. Still, he's gotten in 4 of the past 5 years that way (he didn't make it last year). I figured that the lottery was rigged in his favor, him getting in that many times. But then it occured to me that they probably run the lottery by age-group, i.e., so many per category. Looked at that way, him making it in so often starts to make some sense. How many octagenarians are trying to get into Hawaii, do you figure? Norton's wife wonders when he's going to retire from Ironman racing, and Lord knows that if any wife has a point in this regard, it's her. But I have the strong feeling -- speaking to Norton -- that like Ward, death is the only force that will retire Norton from Ironman competition. ANJELICA CASTANEDA She and her twin sister Barbara used to be fashion models in Mexico City in the '60s. Now they do long races, and Anjelica is a force in her age-group. Like the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico, though, half-day races are a bit short for her. Take what she did three weeks ago for example. She biked from San Diego to Los Angeles, got off, and jumped into the ocean for a swim. She emerged at the other end of the Catalina channel, 20-some-odd miles away. Then she ran the Catalina 50-mile run course. Then there was the matter of getting home, so she re-entered the water and kayaked back to L.A., jumped on her bike and returned to San Diego. Then she rested. Okay, I'm exaggerating. She slept for 4-hours on the Catalina shoreline waiting for her support boat -- which was late -- to show up. She'll do the Kona sprint this Sunday. Next month she goes to Mexico for another swim/bike/run race. Multiply the distances of all the Ironman events tenfold, and that's the race. Yes, 24-mile swim, 1120-mile bike, and 240-mile run. Clock continually runs, start to finish, until somebody crosses the line. Anjelica's sister Barbara -- equally talented, though not racing Kona this year -- is married to Tom Warren. Tom won this race back in '79, and he was 2nd place the year I raced Kona in 1981. We've always admired Tom's very manly regimen of mileage. But he's a cub scout compared to his sister-in-law. VICKIE ALEXANDER She's just aged up -- 45-years old. Vickie used to swim in the same master's program I did back in the mid/late 1980s. She was just a swimmer then, grew up as a swimmer. The master's program I was in was almost exclusively swimmers, and I always got the sense that Vickie -- although always extremely polite -- looked down her nose at triathletes just a bit. I was just starting Quintana Roo then, and I brought a wetsuit to the pool to try out. "You're supposed to wear that swimming?" Vickie asked. "Never happen!" I saw her earlier this year at the Ironman California expo, for the first time in more than a decade. I wondered what a swimmer was doing there. Must be married to a triathlete. Nope. She was the triathlete. And a darn good one, it turns out. Now the swim is her weak link, and she's a better runner than she ever was a swimmer. Her competition is Missy LeStrange, who -- at age 48 -- has won her age group at Hawaii every year since she was 39. But don't be surprised to see Vickie somewhere on the dais when it's all over.