Luciano Taccone of Argentina put the hammer down with a dominating 1:15:10 run and Cecilia Perez of Mexico led wire-to-wire and cinched the deal with a race-best 1:23:43 half marathon.

Taccone combined a 4th-best 30:26 swim, a 2nd-best 2:05:53 bike split and a dominating 1:15:10 run split to finish in 3:54:36 with a 3:33 margin over Frenchman Emmanuel Lejeune and 5:55 over 3rd place finisher Fernando Toldi of Brazil.

Taccone’s win was a career landmark coming after a 4th at the 2020 Ironman 70.3 Cozumel, 5th at the 2018 Santo Domingo America’s Cup Sprint Triathlon, a 3rd at the 2014 Santo Domingo Pan American Games, a win at the 2014 Huatulco ITU World Cup and silver at the 2012 Salinas World Cup.

Cecilia Perez of Mexico, whose prior career bests include a 33rd at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Triathlon and 5th places at the 2018 and 2019 World Cups in Santo Domingo and Lima, authored a career best victory at Cozumel 70.3.

Perez combined a tied-for-women’s best 33:57 swim, a 3rd-fastest 2:23:50 bike split and a women’s- 3rd-quickest 2:23:50 half marathon to finish in 4:24:46 with a 4:08 margin over Lesley Smith of the U.S. and 4:26 over 3rd place Romina Palacio of Argentina. Perez also won the 2017 Challenge San Gil Queretaro.

Ironman 70.3 Cozumel
Cozumel, Mexico
September 26, 2021
S 1.2 mi. / B 56 mi. / R 13.1 Mi.

Pro Men

1. Luciano Taccone (ARG) S 30:26 T1 1:55 B 2:05:53 T2 1:14 R 1:15:10 TOT 3:54:36
2. Emanuel Lejeune (BEL) S 30:49 T1 1:45 B 2:06:13 T2 1:19 R 1:18:04 TOT 3:58:09
3. Fernando Toldi (BRA) S 29:41 T1 1:50 B 2:06:45 T2 1:11 R 1:21:05 TOT 4:00:31
4. Andrea Salvisberg (SUI) S 29:29 T1 1:48 B 2:06:55 T2 1:16 R 1:22:59 TOT 4:02:26
5. Nicholas Chase (USA) S 30:35 T1 1:40 B 2:06:21 T2 1:30 R 1:29:35 TOT 4:09:39
6. Dylan Gillespie (USA) S 30:40 T1 1:43 B 2:05:52 T2 1:12 R 1:32:54 TOT 4:12:20
7. Matthias Hohlrieder (AUT) S 30:29 1:54 B 2:06:06 T2 1:34 R 1:32:35 TOT 4:12:36
8. Ivan Anzaldo (ARG) S 30:24 T1 1:44 B 2:12:33 T2 1:53 R 1:27:50 TOT 4:14:23
9. Joaquin Pereda (MEX) S 29:43 T1 1:52 B 2:13:28 T2 1:45 R 1:33:44 TOT 4:20:41
10. Elliot Bach (USA) S 30:45 T1 1:39 B 2:05:54 T2 1:04 R 1:43:27 TOT 4:22:48

Pro Women

1. Cecilia Perez (MEX) S 33:57 T1 1:53 B 2:23:50 T2 1:25 R 1:23:43 TOT 4:24:46
2. Lesley Smith (USA) S 35:04 T1 1:58 B 2:22:41 T2 1:37 R 1:27:37 TOT 4:28:55
3. Romina Palacio (ARG) S 35:11 T1 2:00 B 2:32:34 T2 1:33 R 1:28:05 TOT 4:29:13
4. Adriana Carreno Cruz (MEX) S 35:06 T1 1:58 B 2:37:17 T2 1:20 R 1:30:32 TOT 4:46:12
5. Bruna Mahn (BRA) 40:03 T1 2:19 B 2:30:03 T2 1:30 R 1:38:18 TOT 4:51:10
6. Mayra Castaneda Castillo (MEX) S 33:57 T1 2:28 B 2:43:29 T2 2:30 R 1:32:24 TOT 4:54:45
7. Nicole Valentine (USA) S 44:28 T1 2:09 B 2:27:41 T2 2:05 R 1:41:11 TOT 4:57:33
8. Lara Gruden (USA) S 40:23 T1 2:08 B 2:30:02 T2 1:37 R 1:5`1:38 TOT 5:05:47
DNF Holly Lawrence (GBR)