Ironprofiles

PRO MEN
PRO WOMEN
ELITE AGE GROUP MEN
ELITE AGE-GROUP WOMEN

PRO MEN

• Switzerland's Olivier Bernhard (32). Not anyone's darkhorse, but a worthy competitor. He owns the Powerman Zofingen (he's won that distance-duathlon monster five times), but he hasn't been able to convert that strength into a mastery of Hawaii -- yet. Last year here, he was fifth. Since, he was third in Ironman New Zealand, and first (8:12:28) in Ironman Switzerland. Zack picks him 5th again.

• Germany's Uto Bolts. So new to triathlon racing, we don't even have an age for him. He's the wildcard factor in this race alright; he's here because, as a Tour de France cyclist with the well-known, pink-clad Telekom team, of WTC president Lew Friedland's wildcard invitation to him. Is he hell on wheels, likely to re-set the bike record here? Perhaps. Has he ever done an Ironman before? No. Does he know what's involved? We hope so.

• USA's Tim DeBoom (29). The Great American Hope in Hawaii -- he won that moniker last year with a tremendous third-place finish. It was surprising to anyone who had been putting stock in the Europeans since Van Lierde's breakthrough in 1996, but an expected result for anyone who had been watching his progress and preparations in Boulder. But he had arrived after a breakthrough win at Ironman New Zealand in early 1999, and was clearly not a one-race wonder. Even this year, he has proven himself again when it counts. He was second to Zack in Ironman Austria, but not by much: His 8:08:55 was just 90 seconds off Zaeck's even-faster 8:07. Zack picks him to duel with Bernhard for 5th.

• Germany's Thomas Hellriegel (29). He is Ironman's quiet man, who lets his legs do the talking. He has a very workman-like attitude to his training, and leaves little time for anything that is not seriously, strictly focused on helping him win Hawaii. He's already done it once, in 1997, when he beat all the big ones -- Juergen Zack, Lothar Leder and Reid, all coming within 10 minutes of his winning 8:33:01. Already this year, he won Ironman New Zealand and was second (two minutes back) to Leder in Ironman Europe on a dismal day. Zack thinks, though, his best days are behind him. He picks Hellriegel 7th, behind Bernhard and DeBoom.

• Germany's Lothar Leder (29). His win in July in Ironman Europe gained him far more respect than his disqualification for drafting did last year in Kona, when a late call pulled him out of the race. He didn't argue it (much), he just signed up for (and won) the Ironman Florida race a few weeks later. Leder's a go-anywhere kind of guy: On paper, he has at least six wins at home this summer, in addition to Ironman Europe. Thing is, those fields weren't exactly filled to the brim with competition. Leder will be looking for another payday here in Hawaii -- but this time, he has to finish to collect the money, not just show up. Zack respect's Leder's ability, and picks him 2nd.

• Australia's Chris Legh (27). Known mostly in Kona for NOT finishing Ironman in 1997, when he had his infamous collapse in the finishing chute, than for his finishes here. Since, he's been top-10 (6th in 1998, 8th in 1999), but not yet the top man. Showed strong form in May when he won both the Wildflower Half-Ironman and then Ironman California (8:56:10, 23 minutes clear of Petr Vabrousek) on a difficult day and course. But, this is five months later. Zack does not pick Legh in the top seven, not because he can't do the job (Legh outlasted Zack at Wildflower earlier this year in a very fast time) but because he's just too unpredictable.

• Switzerland's Christoph Mauch (28). Fourth in Hawaii last year, he rivals Bernhard as the "Swissman" to watch here. But his credentials this year don't have that cracker-of-a-race, which he had a year ago when he won Nice coming into Hawaii. This season, he was 5th in Japan's Strongman in April, and 6th in Nice -- as well as a DNF in Ironman Europe. Zack thinks last year's Ironman was uncharacteristically good finish for Mauch, and predicts he'll be be at the tail end of the top ten this year.

• Germany's Andreas Niedrig (33). The darkhorse of the race, if only because his past was such a dark secret for so long. You can't help but wish Niedrig all the best in his triathlon racing, because for years, starting at about age 18, he lived the junkie's life as a heroin addict. Triathlon transformed him, and the Ironman is his personal celebration of life. In May he revealed his past to the German public when he published a book, "From Junkie to Ironman." In July he took third in Ironman Europe. Next thing we knew, he is getting coaching advice from The Man himself, Dave Scott. Fourteenth here last year, top-5 this time would not surprise us.

• Canada's Peter Reid (31). When he's on, he's a challenger. The Kona winner in 1998, he was 2nd last year and thrilled with placing so high, after carrying some injuries through his preparation. This year, he's also been slowed by injuries, passing up Ironman Australia (where he is a crowd favorite) and pulling out of both Ironman California and Ironman Austria before the big day. But all seems well from the Reid camp, now that he won Ironman Canada on August 27 -- surely a personal test of his pre-Kona preparations. Reid's 8:29:49 in Penticton, 13 minutes up on Stefan Holzner, put the lid on any questions. Zack thinks Reid will have his hands full with the Europeans this year, though, and picks him 4th.

• Denmark's Peter Sandvang (32). Currently holding down the world No. 1 ranking in long-distance racing, but still missing that all-telling clash with world No. 2 Peter Reid this season. At least, not in a race where both men finished: Sandvang won the Mexico Half-Ironman back in April, but that was a DNF for the injured Reid. Kona, thus, will be the key to season-end rankings. Sandvang was third (behind Van Lierde) in St. Croix, and won the Nice Triathlon, thus retaining the ITU World Long-Distance Triathlon title he first won in 1999. But is Hawaii his race? Not against this field: He was just 10th here last year. But for all that, Zack thinks this might be Sandvang's breakout year. Although he doesn't pick him that high, Zack feels top-5 is a distinct possibility.

• England's Spencer Smith (27). Smith's return to Kona will be emotional, if not triumphant. Two years ago here, he took 5th -- and then started in on an 18-month-long journey to defend himself against doping charges from the post-race sample taken from him in Kona. He won, but for a while, the sport lost: He missed last year's race as the doping case still hung over him, then joined a British cycling team for a few months. Only after coming to his senses in April, and realizing how much he missed triathlon -- and specifically, Ironman -- did he come back to his first love. Oddly enough, it's his cycling that's been off-form for Smith. Will he get it back in time for Hawaii? Zack thinks not, when queried about Smith's chances for the win. "He could finish around Olivier," was Zack's assessment.

• Czech Republic's Petr Vabrousek (27). The wonder-kid of the 2000 Ironman season. Can he hold up in Hawaii, now that he's already won 3 Ironman-distances races (Ironman South Africa, Ironman Asia and Almere), and taken second in another (Ironman California)? If all the new Ironman races on the scene this season allowed for more conventional Ironmen to carefully choose their races, Vabrousek simply cleaned up in the races where everyone else stayed clear. Though we like this relative newcomer he still hasn't beaten any of the top-tier guys. And last year in Hawaii, he DNFed.

• Belgium's Luc Van Lierde (31). Perfect Triathlete Magazine cover material (October 2000 issue), and without parallel as the absolute favorite for this race. He won here last year (8:22:17, five minutes clear of Peter Reid), and there are no signs to suggest he can't do it again. Four years after breaking the mold in 1996, setting the course record in his first time at Kona, Van Lierde is still leading the way. Season wins include St. Croix (also in his first time there) and the Belgian Half-Marathon Championships. Zack is a believer. He says Luc will win.

• USA's Cameron Widoff (31). Hawaii, here he comes again. Here's Ironman's ultimate journeyman, trying to crack the distance for 10 years now, finally arriving at the top in July with a pretty impressive win at Ironman USA. It could be said that few try harder to win in Kona than Widoff, who was 17th last year (and 15th in 1998), in spite of a fighting spirit that you can't help but cheer for.

• Germany's Norman Stadler. He won Ironman Australia earlier in the year, but apart from Legh -- who had an uncharacteristically bad day -- the field wasn't that strong. But this is not your traditional garden-variety Stadler. Zack says he's never seen Stadler this focused in his training Smart money says Stormin' Norman will make life miserable for the others on the bike, and picks him 3rd overall in the race.

PRO WOMEN

• Switzerland's Natascha Badmann (33): Welcome back to the one of the most refreshing winners in years (1998). Last year's Hawaii Ironman race belonged all to Lori Bowden in Badmann's absence as she concentrated instead on Olympic-qualifying. That didn't happen when she abandoned her quest in April, and turned back to long-distance racing that she loves. A win (again) at Powerman Zofingen, plus a second-place at the Nice Triathlon (ITU Long-Distance Worlds), puts her as Bowden's biggest challenger this time. The last time that happened in Kona, Badmann beat Bowden by a mere three minutes.

• Canada's Lori Bowden (33): What's not to like about Lori? She's assumed top-cat status in Kona. It seems she can do no wrong, as she's on an Ironman-roll. After winning her last year (9:13:02) with a devastating record run, 2:59:16, Bowden cruised through an Iron-perfect season so far, with wins at both Ironman Australia (8:55:08) and Ironman Canada (9:17:23). It took her 10 years to reach the top of Ironman racing, but she's clearly enjoying every challenge -- Badmann included. Zack reckons her 2nd.

• USA's Nicole DeBoom (28): She hasn't got much of a long-distance racing record aside from her Ironman debut in California, for 3rd place in May. That 10:09:42 there, behind winner Heather Fuhr and Jan Wanklyn, put her in the contender class, though. DeBoom would be lucky to get top-10 in her Hawaii debut.

• Canada's Heather Fuhr (32): She's the Canadian who won't go away. She had her Hawaii heyday in 1997, topping Perennial Paula, and some might say that she's seen her best race here already. However, Fuhr hangs tough. Her drive -- and ability -- to win hasn't diminished any. In fact, she has a hold on the world's No. 2 ranking spot, just below Bowden. That's thanks to a win in Ironman California (9:59:24) and a win as well, over an even-tougher, European-oriented field, in Ironman Europe (9:32:08) in July.

• USA's Wendy Ingraham (36): Like Fernanda Keller, she'll probably finish her career without ever winning Hawaii, but that doesn't mean she hasn't stopped trying. She's a crowd favorite for the way she traditionally leads the swimmers out, and leads the bike for a good portion, too. Lots of TV time there. Right now, she dominates Ironman Austria like no one else, winning the last three years. But it's Kona where she wants to make her best impression. Especially after last year, when she pulled out after the bike, unable to start the run. Zack picks her 5th, and says that if anyone deserves to win -- and if his favorite athlete could win -- it would be this woman.

• Brazil's Fernanda Keller (37): Forever tough, forever third. Five times she has steadily run through most of the field in Kona, only to finish third. As she ages, she's started to race beyond Hawaii. She was 3rd in April in Ironman Australia -- the toughest field so far this year -- and then first at home, taking her first-ever Ironman title at the Ironman Brazil in May. Rule of thumb: Never count out Keller.

• Australia's Joanne King (24): Young, strong-headed and still learning: That's what the tri world realized about King -- and she realized about herself -- last year, when she did the rookie mistake of flying in too late before the race, thinking she could ace the course anyway. That didn't work, and she finished 9th. That, after winning in both Nice and Ironman Europe, plus a stunning 2nd-place debut at the distance in Ironman Australia. This year, King has split from her distance-oriented coach, Brett Sutton. But she's still a mystery here, without any significant distance races of note this year as she instead chased an Olympic spot (that didn't eventuate).

• Germany's Nicole Leder (29): What's this about wives of great Ironmen? First came Sian Welch, then Lori Bowden, then Nicole DeBoom, now Nicole Leder. No one's expecting a Lothar-like performance from her out there in the lava, but she's not exactly sitting by the sidelines, either. Now back in Ironman racing since having her first child nearly two years ago, she shocked a pretty good field in July at Ironman Asia. Her time (9:48:58) wasn't particularly special, but the names who fell in behind her -- Louise Davoren 2nd, Katja Mayer 4th and Paula Newby-Fraser 5th -- were. Take that.

• USA's Barb Lindquist (31): She's fantastic at the short-distance stuff, drafting including, but how can she handle Ironman? Lew Friedland, the WTC boss, thinks just fine, which is why he extended her the only women's wildcard in the whole race. Lindquist, America's heartbreak hero who was gallant in her efforts to make the Olympic team, isn't just talking about "moving up to the Ironman": She's doing it. This will be her first long race of anything past the 1.5k/40k/10k variety of triathlons. Best of luck.

• Germany's Ute Mueckel (33): This hasn't been the best of years for Mueckel, a swim-specialist who didn't get selected for Germany's Olympic team, even though a spot was available. So she scrambled to move up from the Olympic-distance stuff and get back into Ironman form. Even though she was 3rd in Ironman Europe, she didn't get her ticket to Hawaii -- her qualifying spot was given to someone else, oops -- and she was told to try again. In Ironman Canada, her 5th place there did the trick. Welcome back -- and watch for her out of the water.

• Denmark's Susanne Neilsen (33): She is Denmark's quiet counterpart to Peter Sandvang, and lets her performances do the talking. She has placed 9th and 4th in the last two years in Kona, her only times here ever. She had hoped for a more solid season coming into this race, though: Her 4thh in Nice (ITU World Long-Distance Champs) and 6th in Ironman Europe, were below par for her personal standards for the one-time (1999) ITU world long-distance champ.

• USA's Paula Newby-Fraser (38): She missed Hawaii last year for the first time in years, but this time, she's back with a vengeance. Don't think she's past her prime at all. Okay, maybe a bit, but the nine-time champ here is still filled with fire. Winning in the inaugural Ironman South Africa in February reignited her love for the distance, and her fifth-place finish in Ironman Asia (11:02:31) showed her she still has a few lessons to learn about the race. A foot injury bothered her after that, but the word out of San Diego is that she's keying for a comeback kind of race. Indeed, we've heard from our secret spies that she's tearing up the San Diego backcountry hills on her bike. Zack picks her 4th. Slowtwitch editor Dan Empfield picks her higher, maybe as high as first.

• Canada's Melissa Spooner (29): Another one who enjoyed time at the top, only to crash and burn in the race that counted most. A pretty heady 1998, which included a win at Ironman Lanzarote, 3rd at Ironman Europe and a 4th in Kona, spilled over to a win in the 1999 Ironman New Zealand. But that was the last in-form result she achieved, and her 14th in Kona last year told her something wasn't right. By this July, though, the joy had come back as she won Ironman USA. When she's on form, she can race with the best of them.

• USA's Joanna Zeiger (30): If Karen Smyers was America's most versatile triathlete of the '90s, Zeiger's already got a lead on the rest so far in 2000. You have to wonder why it took USA Triathlon so long to notice her in the short races -- she got her first World Cup start only in April. By September in Sydney, she finished one place short of an Olympic medal. Now she's dared to be the only Olympic triathlete who doubles back to do Hawaii. Here, she hopes to improve on her 6th place finish -- of the last two years. No less than Jurgen Zack says Zeiger will win the Ironman this year.

• USA's Beth Zinkand (30): The other "Z" woman who is fast-rising in the distance ranks. At 5Th in the Hawaii field last year, she was the surprise that few had even considered. She was 3rd in Ironman Lanzarote in May, and first in just about every half-Ironman she attempts -- notably, Mexico and Vineman this season. Now that she's surprised the field once, she's one to watch as a real factor.

ELITE AGE GROUP MEN -- COMING

ELITE AGE-GROUP WOMEN -- COMING






			G	ATHLETE PROFILES PRO MEN PRO WOMEN ELITE AGE GROUP MEN ELITE AGE-GROUP WOMEN PRO MEN • Switzerland's Olivier Bernhard (32). Not anyone's darkhorse, but a worthy competitor. He owns the Powerman Zofingen (he's won that distance-duathlon monster five times), but he hasn't been able to convert that strength into a mastery of Hawaii -- yet. Last year here, he was fifth. Since, he was third in Ironman New Zealand, and first (8:12:28) in Ironman Switzerland. Zack picks him 5th again. • Germany's Uto Bolts. So new to triathlon racing, we don't even have an age for him. He's the wildcard factor in this race alright; he's here because, as a Tour de France cyclist with the well-known, pink-clad Telekom team, of WTC president Lew Friedland's wildcard invitation to him. Is he hell on wheels, likely to re-set the bike record here? Perhaps. Has he ever done an Ironman before? No. Does he know what's involved? We hope so. • USA's Tim DeBoom (29). The Great American Hope in Hawaii -- he won that moniker last year with a tremendous third-place finish. It was surprising to anyone who had been putting stock in the Europeans since Van Lierde's breakthrough in 1996, but an expected result for anyone who had been watching his progress and preparations in Boulder. But he had arrived after a breakthrough win at Ironman New Zealand in early 1999, and was clearly not a one-race wonder. Even this year, he has proven himself again when it counts. He was second to Zack in Ironman Austria, but not by much: His 8:08:55 was just 90 seconds off Zaeck's even-faster 8:07. Zack picks him to duel with Bernhard for 5th. • Germany's Thomas Hellriegel (29). He is Ironman's quiet man, who lets his legs do the talking. He has a very workman-like attitude to his training, and leaves little time for anything that is not seriously, strictly focused on helping him win Hawaii. He's already done it once, in 1997, when he beat all the big ones -- Juergen Zack, Lothar Leder and Reid, all coming within 10 minutes of his winning 8:33:01. Already this year, he won Ironman New Zealand and was second (two minutes back) to Leder in Ironman Europe on a dismal day. Zack thinks, though, his best days are behind him. He picks Hellriegel 7th, behind Bernhard and DeBoom. • Germany's Lothar Leder (29). His win in July in Ironman Europe gained him far more respect than his disqualification for drafting did last year in Kona, when a late call pulled him out of the race. He didn't argue it (much), he just signed up for (and won) the Ironman Florida race a few weeks later. Leder's a go-anywhere kind of guy: On paper, he has at least six wins at home this summer, in addition to Ironman Europe. Thing is, those fields weren't exactly filled to the brim with competition. Leder will be looking for another payday here in Hawaii -- but this time, he has to finish to collect the money, not just show up. Zack respect's Leder's ability, and picks him 2nd. • Australia's Chris Legh (27). Known mostly in Kona for NOT finishing Ironman in 1997, when he had his infamous collapse in the finishing chute, than for his finishes here. Since, he's been top-10 (6th in 1998, 8th in 1999), but not yet the top man. Showed strong form in May when he won both the Wildflower Half-Ironman and then Ironman California (8:56:10, 23 minutes clear of Petr Vabrousek) on a difficult day and course. But, this is five months later. Zack does not pick Legh in the top seven, not because he can't do the job (Legh outlasted Zack at Wildflower earlier this year in a very fast time) but because he's just too unpredictable. • Switzerland's Christoph Mauch (28). Fourth in Hawaii last year, he rivals Bernhard as the "Swissman" to watch here. But his credentials this year don't have that cracker-of-a-race, which he had a year ago when he won Nice coming into Hawaii. This season, he was 5th in Japan's Strongman in April, and 6th in Nice -- as well as a DNF in Ironman Europe. Zack thinks last year's Ironman was uncharacteristically good finish for Mauch, and predicts he'll be be at the tail end of the top ten this year. • Germany's Andreas Niedrig (33). The darkhorse of the race, if only because his past was such a dark secret for so long. You can't help but wish Niedrig all the best in his triathlon racing, because for years, starting at about age 18, he lived the junkie's life as a heroin addict. Triathlon transformed him, and the Ironman is his personal celebration of life. In May he revealed his past to the German public when he published a book, "From Junkie to Ironman." In July he took third in Ironman Europe. Next thing we knew, he is getting coaching advice from The Man himself, Dave Scott. Fourteenth here last year, top-5 this time would not surprise us. • Canada's Peter Reid (31). When he's on, he's a challenger. The Kona winner in 1998, he was 2nd last year and thrilled with placing so high, after carrying some injuries through his preparation. This year, he's also been slowed by injuries, passing up Ironman Australia (where he is a crowd favorite) and pulling out of both Ironman California and Ironman Austria before the big day. But all seems well from the Reid camp, now that he won Ironman Canada on August 27 -- surely a personal test of his pre-Kona preparations. Reid's 8:29:49 in Penticton, 13 minutes up on Stefan Holzner, put the lid on any questions. Zack thinks Reid will have his hands full with the Europeans this year, though, and picks him 4th. • Denmark's Peter Sandvang (32). Currently holding down the world No. 1 ranking in long-distance racing, but still missing that all-telling clash with world No. 2 Peter Reid this season. At least, not in a race where both men finished: Sandvang won the Mexico Half-Ironman back in April, but that was a DNF for the injured Reid. Kona, thus, will be the key to season-end rankings. Sandvang was third (behind Van Lierde) in St. Croix, and won the Nice Triathlon, thus retaining the ITU World Long-Distance Triathlon title he first won in 1999. But is Hawaii his race? Not against this field: He was just 10th here last year. But for all that, Zack thinks this might be Sandvang's breakout year. Although he doesn't pick him that high, Zack feels top-5 is a distinct possibility. • England's Spencer Smith (27). Smith's return to Kona will be emotional, if not triumphant. Two years ago here, he took 5th -- and then started in on an 18-month-long journey to defend himself against doping charges from the post-race sample taken from him in Kona. He won, but for a while, the sport lost: He missed last year's race as the doping case still hung over him, then joined a British cycling team for a few months. Only after coming to his senses in April, and realizing how much he missed triathlon -- and specifically, Ironman -- did he come back to his first love. Oddly enough, it's his cycling that's been off-form for Smith. Will he get it back in time for Hawaii? Zack thinks not, when queried about Smith's chances for the win. "He could finish around Olivier," was Zack's assessment. • Czech Republic's Petr Vabrousek (27). The wonder-kid of the 2000 Ironman season. Can he hold up in Hawaii, now that he's already won 3 Ironman-distances races (Ironman South Africa, Ironman Asia and Almere), and taken second in another (Ironman California)? If all the new Ironman races on the scene this season allowed for more conventional Ironmen to carefully choose their races, Vabrousek simply cleaned up in the races where everyone else stayed clear. Though we like this relative newcomer he still hasn't beaten any of the top-tier guys. And last year in Hawaii, he DNFed. • Belgium's Luc Van Lierde (31). Perfect Triathlete Magazine cover material (October 2000 issue), and without parallel as the absolute favorite for this race. He won here last year (8:22:17, five minutes clear of Peter Reid), and there are no signs to suggest he can't do it again. Four years after breaking the mold in 1996, setting the course record in his first time at Kona, Van Lierde is still leading the way. Season wins include St. Croix (also in his first time there) and the Belgian Half-Marathon Championships. Zack is a believer. He says Luc will win. • USA's Cameron Widoff (31). Hawaii, here he comes again. Here's Ironman's ultimate journeyman, trying to crack the distance for 10 years now, finally arriving at the top in July with a pretty impressive win at Ironman USA. It could be said that few try harder to win in Kona than Widoff, who was 17th last year (and 15th in 1998), in spite of a fighting spirit that you can't help but cheer for. • Germany's Norman Stadler. He won Ironman Australia earlier in the year, but apart from Legh -- who had an uncharacteristically bad day -- the field wasn't that strong. But this is not your traditional garden-variety Stadler. Zack says he's never seen Stadler this focused in his training Smart money says Stormin' Norman will make life miserable for the others on the bike, and picks him 3rd overall in the race. PRO WOMEN • Switzerland's Natascha Badmann (33): Welcome back to the one of the most refreshing winners in years (1998). Last year's Hawaii Ironman race belonged all to Lori Bowden in Badmann's absence as she concentrated instead on Olympic-qualifying. That didn't happen when she abandoned her quest in April, and turned back to long-distance racing that she loves. A win (again) at Powerman Zofingen, plus a second-place at the Nice Triathlon (ITU Long-Distance Worlds), puts her as Bowden's biggest challenger this time. The last time that happened in Kona, Badmann beat Bowden by a mere three minutes. • Canada's Lori Bowden (33): What's not to like about Lori? She's assumed top-cat status in Kona. It seems she can do no wrong, as she's on an Ironman-roll. After winning her last year (9:13:02) with a devastating record run, 2:59:16, Bowden cruised through an Iron-perfect season so far, with wins at both Ironman Australia (8:55:08) and Ironman Canada (9:17:23). It took her 10 years to reach the top of Ironman racing, but she's clearly enjoying every challenge -- Badmann included. Zack reckons her 2nd. • USA's Nicole DeBoom (28): She hasn't got much of a long-distance racing record aside from her Ironman debut in California, for 3rd place in May. That 10:09:42 there, behind winner Heather Fuhr and Jan Wanklyn, put her in the contender class, though. DeBoom would be lucky to get top-10 in her Hawaii debut. • Canada's Heather Fuhr (32): She's the Canadian who won't go away. She had her Hawaii heyday in 1997, topping Perennial Paula, and some might say that she's seen her best race here already. However, Fuhr hangs tough. Her drive -- and ability -- to win hasn't diminished any. In fact, she has a hold on the world's No. 2 ranking spot, just below Bowden. That's thanks to a win in Ironman California (9:59:24) and a win as well, over an even-tougher, European-oriented field, in Ironman Europe (9:32:08) in July. • USA's Wendy Ingraham (36): Like Fernanda Keller, she'll probably finish her career without ever winning Hawaii, but that doesn't mean she hasn't stopped trying. She's a crowd favorite for the way she traditionally leads the swimmers out, and leads the bike for a good portion, too. Lots of TV time there. Right now, she dominates Ironman Austria like no one else, winning the last three years. But it's Kona where she wants to make her best impression. Especially after last year, when she pulled out after the bike, unable to start the run. Zack picks her 5th, and says that if anyone deserves to win -- and if his favorite athlete could win -- it would be this woman. • Brazil's Fernanda Keller (37): Forever tough, forever third. Five times she has steadily run through most of the field in Kona, only to finish third. As she ages, she's started to race beyond Hawaii. She was 3rd in April in Ironman Australia -- the toughest field so far this year -- and then first at home, taking her first-ever Ironman title at the Ironman Brazil in May. Rule of thumb: Never count out Keller. • Australia's Joanne King (24): Young, strong-headed and still learning: That's what the tri world realized about King -- and she realized about herself -- last year, when she did the rookie mistake of flying in too late before the race, thinking she could ace the course anyway. That didn't work, and she finished 9th. That, after winning in both Nice and Ironman Europe, plus a stunning 2nd-place debut at the distance in Ironman Australia. This year, King has split from her distance-oriented coach, Brett Sutton. But she's still a mystery here, without any significant distance races of note this year as she instead chased an Olympic spot (that didn't eventuate). • Germany's Nicole Leder (29): What's this about wives of great Ironmen? First came Sian Welch, then Lori Bowden, then Nicole DeBoom, now Nicole Leder. No one's expecting a Lothar-like performance from her out there in the lava, but she's not exactly sitting by the sidelines, either. Now back in Ironman racing since having her first child nearly two years ago, she shocked a pretty good field in July at Ironman Asia. Her time (9:48:58) wasn't particularly special, but the names who fell in behind her -- Louise Davoren 2nd, Katja Mayer 4th and Paula Newby-Fraser 5th -- were. Take that. • USA's Barb Lindquist (31): She's fantastic at the short-distance stuff, drafting including, but how can she handle Ironman? Lew Friedland, the WTC boss, thinks just fine, which is why he extended her the only women's wildcard in the whole race. Lindquist, America's heartbreak hero who was gallant in her efforts to make the Olympic team, isn't just talking about "moving up to the Ironman": She's doing it. This will be her first long race of anything past the 1.5k/40k/10k variety of triathlons. Best of luck. • Germany's Ute Mueckel (33): This hasn't been the best of years for Mueckel, a swim-specialist who didn't get selected for Germany's Olympic team, even though a spot was available. So she scrambled to move up from the Olympic-distance stuff and get back into Ironman form. Even though she was 3rd in Ironman Europe, she didn't get her ticket to Hawaii -- her qualifying spot was given to someone else, oops -- and she was told to try again. In Ironman Canada, her 5th place there did the trick. Welcome back -- and watch for her out of the water. • Denmark's Susanne Neilsen (33): She is Denmark's quiet counterpart to Peter Sandvang, and lets her performances do the talking. She has placed 9th and 4th in the last two years in Kona, her only times here ever. She had hoped for a more solid season coming into this race, though: Her 4thh in Nice (ITU World Long-Distance Champs) and 6th in Ironman Europe, were below par for her personal standards for the one-time (1999) ITU world long-distance champ. • USA's Paula Newby-Fraser (38): She missed Hawaii last year for the first time in years, but this time, she's back with a vengeance. Don't think she's past her prime at all. Okay, maybe a bit, but the nine-time champ here is still filled with fire. Winning in the inaugural Ironman South Africa in February reignited her love for the distance, and her fifth-place finish in Ironman Asia (11:02:31) showed her she still has a few lessons to learn about the race. A foot injury bothered her after that, but the word out of San Diego is that she's keying for a comeback kind of race. Indeed, we've heard from our secret spies that she's tearing up the San Diego backcountry hills on her bike. Zack picks her 4th. Slowtwitch editor Dan Empfield picks her higher, maybe as high as first. • Canada's Melissa Spooner (29): Another one who enjoyed time at the top, only to crash and burn in the race that counted most. A pretty heady 1998, which included a win at Ironman Lanzarote, 3rd at Ironman Europe and a 4th in Kona, spilled over to a win in the 1999 Ironman New Zealand. But that was the last in-form result she achieved, and her 14th in Kona last year told her something wasn't right. By this July, though, the joy had come back as she won Ironman USA. When she's on form, she can race with the best of them. • USA's Joanna Zeiger (30): If Karen Smyers was America's most versatile triathlete of the '90s, Zeiger's already got a lead on the rest so far in 2000. You have to wonder why it took USA Triathlon so long to notice her in the short races -- she got her first World Cup start only in April. By September in Sydney, she finished one place short of an Olympic medal. Now she's dared to be the only Olympic triathlete who doubles back to do Hawaii. Here, she hopes to improve on her 6th place finish -- of the last two years. No less than Jurgen Zack says Zeiger will win the Ironman this year. • USA's Beth Zinkand (30): The other "Z" woman who is fast-rising in the distance ranks. At 5Th in the Hawaii field last year, she was the surprise that few had even considered. She was 3rd in Ironman Lanzarote in May, and first in just about every half-Ironman she attempts -- notably, Mexico and Vineman this season. Now that she's surprised the field once, she's one to watch as a real factor. ELITE AGE GROUP MEN -- COMING ELITE AGE-GROUP WOMEN -- COMING