Nine years ago, Lisa Norden was battling Nicola Spirig down to the wire in front of a screaming throng of a quarter million spectators at the 2012 Olympic Triathlon final. Today, Norden was racing 4,000 miles away from the site of her Olympic silver medal in front of perhaps 15,000 people in a race that was four times longer. But on Sunday her result was one place better.

Since the 2021 Olympic women’s triathlon will take place a day and a few hours after Ironman Lake Placid, Norden can sit back on a couch and recover from her Ironman effort with sweet memories of her exciting battle with her Swiss rival in 2012.

On Sunday Norden combined a third-best 51:39 swim split, a women’s-fastest 4:55:26 bike and a women’s 4th-best 3:16:14 marathon to finish in 9:11:26 with a 7:25 margin over Heather Jackson of the U.S. and 20:20 over third place finisher Joanna Ryter of Switzerland.

In men’s race, Norden’s fellow Swede Rasmus Svenningsson combined a men’s 10th-best-49:29 swim with a race-best 4:26:09 bike split and a 2nd fastest 2:51:05 run to finish in 8:13:25 with a 9:48 margin of victory over Arnaud Guilloux of France and 10:36 over third place finisher Joe Skipper of Great Britain.

Ironman Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York
July 25, 2021
S 2.4 mi. / B 112 mi. / R 26.2 mi.

Women

1. Lisa Norden (SWE) S 51:39 B 4:55:26 R 3:16:14 TOT 9:11:26
2. Heather Jackson (USA) S 56:25 B 4:57:06 R 3:19:01 TOT 9:18:52
3. Joanna Ryter (SUI) S 1:00:30 B 5:26:12 R 2:57:31 TOT 9:31:47
4. Pamella Oliveira (BRA) S 49:55 B 5:18:31 R 3:25:49 TOT 9:42:02
5. Dede Griesbauer (USA) S 56:15 B 5:08:17 R 3:36:58 TOT 9:50:03
6. Lenny Ramsey (NED) S 1:05:10 B 5:25:49 R 3:10:22 TOT 9:50:08
7. Renee Kiley (AUS) S 55:52 B 5:17:30 R 3:28:29 TOT 9:50:23
9. Lauren Brandon (USA) S 47:30 B 5:17:52 R 31:45 TOT 10:04:56

Men

1. Rasmus Svenningsson (SWE) S 49:29 B 4:26:09 R 2:51:05 TOT 8:13:25
2. Arnaud Guilloux (FRA) S 47:32 B 4:30:13 R 2:58:29 TOT 8:23:13
3. Joe Skipper (GBR) S 52:01 B 4:35:36 R 2:49:04 TOT 8:24:01
4. Antoine Mechin (FRA) S 50:12 B 4:42:43 R 2:52:31 TOT 8:32:43
5. Kevin Portmann (USA) S 54:28 B 4:37:24 R 2:55:27 TOT 8:34:12
6. Adam Feigh (USA) S 53:54 B 4:46:24 R 2:53:07 TOT 8:39:46
7. Matt Russell (USA) S 54:11 B 4:36:12 T 3:05:42 TOT 8:42:50