TRIATHLON
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Defending Ironman Triathlon champion Faris Al-Sultan spoke with the media yesterday.
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Strong field for Ironman race
Last year's runner-up says a large group of athletes have a shot in tomorrow's event
By Ron Staton
Associated Press
KAILUA-KONA » A close race is predicted in tomorrow's Ironman Triathlon World Championship here, with weather expected to play a usual major role and a strong earthquake six days earlier mostly just a memory.
"I think you'll be able to throw a blanket over the top 10," said Cameron Brown of New Zealand, who was second last year.
"It's going to be very close," he said at a pre-race news conference yesterday. "There are many guys who can win."
The men's field also includes defending champion Faris Al-Sultan of Germany; Rutger Beke, of Belgium, who was fourth; Cameron Widoff of Boulder, Colo., who was fifth; Chris McCormack of Australia, who was sixth; and 2004 winner Normann Stadler of Germany.
No changes have been made in the 140.2-mile course as a result of the 6.7 earthquake, said Ironman communications director Blair LaHaye.
"They're OK," 1994 winner Greg Welch, now a race official, said of the athletes. "They're here to race."
"I just ask for safe passage," said Widoff. "Last Sunday (the earthquake) is a good example of the power of this place."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kate Allen is among those expected to contend for the women's title tomorrow.
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Weather also has the power to heavily impact the race. Choppy waters can slow the athletes during the 2.4-mile ocean swim, and strong winds, which many of the competitors say can be "brutal," can produce slower times for the 112-mile bicycle ride through hilly ranch lands to the northern tip of the Big Island. Heavy humidity can slow them during the 26.2-mile run.
Humid weather conditions with light tradewinds have prevailed in recent days, although forecasts say the winds may pick up by tomorrow.
Brown described some of his recent training runs as "pretty extreme." If the tradewinds don't pick up, the bike portion will be faster but the run will be harder, he said.
While the professional athletes are more conditioned to the weather, it could be more a problem for the approximately 1,250 age-group competitors.
"We have the best-of-the-best in that category, and most are experienced," said former professional competitor Paul Huddle. "But the 200 lottery winners, some of whom have never done an Ironman race, are the ones you worry about."
Al-Sultan said he feels pressure as the defending champion.
"But I know I have won this race, and I have an advantage over those who don't know if they can win," he said.
"Hawaii is the race that counts," he said of the series of Ironman races. "Everyone peaks for this race because it is so important."
Defending champion and six-time winner Natascha Badmann of Switzerland leads the women's field, which includes the other top four finishers from last year -- Michellie Jones and Kate Major of Australia, Joanna Lawn of New Zealand and Kate Allen of Austria.
The winner will be "the one who wants it the most," said Lawn.
Luc Van Lierde of Belgium set the course record of 8 hours, 4 minutes and 8 seconds in 1996. Paula Newby-Fraser, then of Zimbabwe, set the women's record of 8:55:28 in 1996.