Kailua-Kona (dpa) – More or less eight hours of peak physical performance at temperatures above 30 degrees and over 70 percent humidity. Plus a professional field that can make the legendary Ironman World Championship a really memorable race.
“The nice and fascinating thing about the Ironman is that, after all the predictions, you just go to the start and see what happens,” stresses top challenger Jan Frodeno.
A LONG DAY: The professional men start at 6.25 a.m. local time (18.25 p.m. CEST). It is estimated that they will get up about three hours earlier. The body must be brought to the required operating temperature in good time – 26 to 28 degrees water temperature when swimming 3.86 kilometers in the Pacific or not. The processes are automated, before the swim starts, the air pressure of the tires on the high-tech wheels is checked again. Last drinking bottles attached to the bike. The finish for all participants is 17 hours after the start of the race. And according to good tradition, the first always receive the last at midnight.
THE MAIN PLAYERS: Patrick Lange, 2017 and 2018 champion, the first triathlete to master the 3.86 kilometers of swimming, 180.2 kilometers of cycling and 42.2 kilometers of running in under eight hours. Seasonal rather moderate. Jan Frodeno, Champion 2015 and 2016. 2017 slowed down by an injury in the race, 2018 by an injury only as a viewer and TV expert on site. Season course: victories at every start. Sebastian Kienle, 2014 champion. Season progress: after a change of coach as strong as it has been for a long time.
But there are even more than the three German world champions who have held the titles for five years: among others the Australian Cameron Wurf or the Canadian Lionel Sanders. The 2018 World Cup runner-up, Bart Aernouts from Belgium, and last year’s World Cup runner-up, David McNamee from Great Britain. And his already highly decorated compatriot: Alistair Brownlee, two-time Olympic champion from Great Britain. “An animal,” says Frodeno. The question is how Brownlee copes with the conditions of his Hawaii debut.
THE STRATEGY: If you want to beat super runners for a long time, you have to make the distance for swimming and cycling as big as possible, otherwise it will be done by the 33-year-old marathon-best man from Hawaii and course record holder – Lange was the first among the magical eight hours at the World Cup – Race – overhauled on the final 42.2 kilometers.
For a long time, however, is not considered a brilliant swimmer in contrast to Frodeno, nor as a brilliant cyclist like Kienle and Frodeno, let alone a litter – a former professional cyclist. Slipstreaming is prohibited, but a good group should catch Lange who can pull him. Last year, Lange was able to rely on his team-mate Andreas Dreitz, who is once again with a total of 13 Germans qualified for the World Cup.
IRON WOMEN: With women, Daniela Ryf can and wants to win her fifth title in a row. A year ago, despite a jellyfish attack immediately before the start of the swim, the Swiss was once again the first to finish after a fabulous race to catch up. Anne Haug, who is third in the previous year, has new medal hopes. Laura Philipp has been unbeaten for eight cross-distance races and, despite a long injury break, can squint to the front ranks.
QUOTES:
Defending champion Patrick Lange: “Kona is the race I was made for.”
Challenger Jan Frodeno: «When I see Patrick Lange, I see two guys, one from November to September and one Patrick Lange in October. Patrick is a weapon in October. »
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