Terenzo Bozzone of New Zealand broke through to his first Ironman victory and Melissa Hauschildt of Australia fought off late race cramps to take her second Ironman win of 2016 and the fourth of her career at Ironman Western Australia.
Women
Hauschildt broke fast with a women’s 4th-best 54:29 swim that gave her a 4:43 lead on German Mareen Hufe, 4:42 on defending champion Sarah Piampiano of the U.S., and 6 and one half minutes on Asa Lundstrom of Sweden and Elisabeth Gruber of Austria. Hufe counterattacked into the lead on the fast and mostly flat bike course with a 4:41:32 split that gave her a 2:30 lead on Hauschildt, 7:37 on Lundstrom and 8:05 on Piampiano at T2. Hauschildt held on for the win and course record with a women’s 3rd-best 3:06:39 run that brought her to the finish in 8:54:39 with a 2:57 margin of victory on Hufe (3:12:25 run) and 4:12 on 3rd-place Piampiano (women’s-best 3:05:13 run).
Hauschildt broke Britta Martin's 2014 women's 8:56:33 course record by 1:54.
Like Bozzone, Hauschildt had a disappointing DNF at Kona but Ironman Western Australia was another in a long line of 2016 top results for the two-time Ironman 70.3 World Champion and 26-time Ironman 70.3 winner. This year Hauschildt won Ironman Frankfurt, Ironman 70.3 Geelong, Husky Long Course, and the Ironman 70.3 European Championship. The 33-year-old former 3,000-meter steeplechase champion also placed 2nd at the 2016 Ironman 70.3 Worlds.
Men
Bozzone set the Busselton course record and the 12th-fastest men’s Ironman-distance mark in history with a 7:51:26 time. Bozzone broke to a large lead with a sizzling 4:10:49 bike split, then held off a strong run by runner-up Andy Potts of the U.S. to win by 2:46 and top 3rd-place Nick Kastelein of Australia by 13:58.
Bozzone topped Luke McKenzie's 2015 men's course record by 4:32 and Potts bettered McKenzie's mark by 46 seconds.
After taking on his first Ironman in 2009, Bozzone has been knocking on the Ironman door with four runner-up finishes before today’s victory. The 2008 Ironman 70.3 World Champion, 2013 Ironman 70.3 World Championship silver medalist, and winner of 23 half-Ironman titles believed he was ready to prove his mettle at the Ironman World Championship this year. But after a frustrating withdrawal at Kona due to swelling in his legs, Bozzone was primed to prove his Ironman potential at Busselton.
Ironman Western Australia
Busselton, Australia
December 4, 2016
S 2.4 mi. / B 112 mi. / R 26.2 mi.
Results
Women
1. Melissa Hauschildt (AUS) 8:54:39
2. Mareen Hufe (GER) 8:57:36
3. Sarah Piampiano (USA) 8:58:51
4. Asa Lundstrom (SWE) 9:06:08
5. Elisabeth Gruber (AUT) 9:15:59
6. Kym Coogan (AUS) 9:36:36
7. Zoe Adams (AUS) 9:42:17 *F25-29
8. Vanessa Murray (NZL) 9:48:05
9. Michelle Boyes (AUS) 9:50:14 *F45-49
10. Steffi Steinberg (GER) 9:56:10 *F35-39
Men
1. Terenzo Bozzone (NZL) 7:51:26
2. Andy Potts (USA) 7:55:12
3. Nick Kastelein (AUS) 8:05:24
4. Jens Petersen-Bach (DEN) 8:17:20
5. Denis Chevrot (FRA) 8:15:23
6. Esben Hovgaard (DEN) 8:18:00
7. Michael Fox (AUS) 8:18:07
8. Konstantin Bachor (GER) 8:19:51
9. Courtney Ogden (AUS) 8:27:46
10. Levi Maxwell (AUS) 8:28:28
