Weekend Wrap-up: Ironman Switzerland, Challenge Iceland, Zurich 5150, Ironman Canada, Ironman Lake Placid

By Wires July 25, 2016

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Ryf dominates IM Swiss, Ready for Hawaii

On a day when 6-time Ironman World Champion and Swiss legend Natascha Badmann would finished 9^th place at age 49, Daniela Ryf dominated Ironman Switzerland, winning by 30 minutes over the women’s field. Behind in T1 by just 2 seconds behind countrywoman Celine Schärer, Ryf decided to go hard on the bike and raced a women’s best bike split of 4:46:30. She then decided to go easy on the last half of the marathon, ran a 3:03:31 split to finish in 8:51:50. Emma Bilham, also of Switzerland finished second at 9:21:48. Michaela Herlbauer of Austria rounded up the podium with a 9:29:12 finish.

Ryf declared she is ready for Hawaii: “My body was working very good today. I said to myself: When I’m surviving this, I’m ready for Hawaii.”

Daniela’s win secured her a spot for the Ironman World Championships. A week ago, she also dominated Challenge Roth, nearly breaking Chrissie Wellington’s Iron-distance record.

On the Men’s race, Ronnie Schildknecht won his 9^th Ironman Switzerland title, racing a race-best 2:47:07 run to win by 7:09 minutes over Timo Bracht of Germany (8:24:14). Jan Van Berkel of Switzerland finished third place (8:29:12).

Ironman Switzerland
Zurich, Switzerland
July 24, 2016

Men
1, Ronnie Schildknecht (SUI) 8:17:04
2, Timo Bracht (GER) 8:24:13
3, Jan Van Berkel (SUI) 8:29:12
4. Roman Deisenhofer (GER) 8:32:58
5, David Plese (SLO) 8:36:50
6. Mauro Baertsch (SUI) 8:36:55
7. Christian Brader (GER) 8:49:07
8. Patrick Jaberg (SUI) 8:49:39
9. Mike Schifferle (SUI) 8:50:28
10. Steve Bovay (SUI) 9:04:11 * M30-34

Women
1. Daniela Ryf (SUI) 8:51:50
2. Emma Bilham (SUI) 9:21:48
3. Michaela Herlbauer (AUT) 8:28:12
4. Celine Schärer (SUI) 9:35:26
5. Ariane Monticeli (BRA) 9:40:07
6. Karen Thibodeau (CAN) 9:40:38
7. Carina Hengartner (SUI) 9:46:19
8. Alyssa Godesky (USA) 9:47:20
9. Natascha Badmann (SUI) 9:47:21
10. Stephanie Kuhnert (GER) 9:50:43 * F25-29

Collington, Wurtele take Challenge Iceland

Kevin Collington edged T2 leader Giulio Molinari of Italy (race-best 24:11 swim and race-best 2:15:48 bike) by only 17 seconds for his second victory of the year. Collington finished with a time of 4:00:15, charging hard on the final 7k of the run to beat Molinari by only 17 seconds. Molinari finished in 4:00:32. American Justin Metzler closed fast with a race-best 1:15:13 run split but would finish in 4:03:31, good for 3^rd place.

Heather Wurtele of Canada (4;24:00) dominated on the bike with a women’s race best 2:28:26 split on a difficult bike course with 1,000 meter of climbing, winning by over 4 minutes over Radka Vodickova of Czech Republic and 8:14 over 3rd-place finisher Haley Chura of the U.S.

Trailing early on the swim behind the lead pack by 3 minutes, Wurtele blazed past everybody on the women’s field on the bike and led into T2 by 6:21. Despite a women’s best 1:23:46 run by Vodickova, Wurtele ran the 3rd-best run split of 1:25:45, earning a very comfortable 4 minute win. Haley Chura of the US finished in 4:32:14, earning 3rd place.

Wurtele’s victory was her 5th half-Ironman distance win of the year which includes a win at the Ironman 70.3 North American Championship in St. George, Utah and comes after a 2nd place finish at the 2015 Ironman 70.3 Worlds and a win at St. George 70.3 last year.

Challenge Iceland Results

Men
1. Kevin Collington (USA) 4:00:15
2. Giulio Molinari (ITA) 4:00:32
3. Justin Metzler (USA) 4:03:31
4. Tim Don (GBR) 4:08:03
5. Allan Olesen (DEN) 4:08:47

Women
1. Heather Wurtele (CAN) 4:24:00
2. Radka Vodickova (CZE) 4:28:21
3. Haley Chura (USA) 4:32:14
4. Tine Deckers (BEL) 4:36:02
5. Carina Brechters (GER) 4:39:36

Spirig, Wild top Zurich 5150

Nicola Spirig showed she is in a different class by winning a relatively light women’s field, cruising a 1:58:19 race, winning by nearly 10 minutes over 2^nd placer Ricarda Lisk of Germany. Her time was also the 2^nd overall best (including men’s) behind just 5 minutes over men’s winner Ruedi Wild.

“The swim was not slow, but we were able to keep up with the simultaneously launched men,” remarked Spirig. On the bike she could alternate with the second man but later defected. “In running I saw him in front of me, which was a great motivation, I could I just overtake yet,” said Spirig rejoiced. “I think overall it was a very good performance from me, as the second man in the target, which is not bad,” joked the Olympic champion.

Wild finished in 1:52:38, with nearly a 6-minute margin over runner-up Nils Svensson of Sweden. He ran a race-best 34:39 split, showing good form as he prepares to start in the IM70.3 championships in Australia, and the IM World Championships in Kona.

5i50 Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland
July 23, 2016

Results

Men
1. Ruedi Wild (SUI) 1:52:38
2. Nils Svensson (SWE) 1:58:30
3. David Herzig (SUI) 1:59:35 *M30-34
4. Jacques Louw (SUI) 2:00:38
5. Giacomo Trabattoni (SUI) 2:00:40 *M18-24

Women
1. Nicola Spirig (SUI) 1:58:19
2. Ricarda Lisk (GER) 2:08:14
3. Nina Derron (SUI) 2:10:38
4. Mariana Borges De Andrade (BRA) 2:11:16
5. Michelle Derran (SUI) 2:11:53

Andy Potts Continue Winning Season, Wins Ironman Canada

Using the best swim and bike of the day, Andy Potts (USA) led from start to finish to continue his impressive 2016 campaign with a victory at the Subaru IRONMAN Canada triathlon. Potts finished with an overall time of 08:20:23 ahead of Pedro Gomez (PRT) and Trevor Wurtele (CAN) who rounded out the top three.

Top five professional men’s results at Subaru IRONMAN Canada:

SWIM BIKE RUN FINISH

1. Andy Potts USA 00:47:03 04:31:07 02:58:19 08:20:23

2. Pedro Gomes PRT 00:49:52 04:40:55 02:53:18 08:27:31

3. Trevor Wurtele CAN 00:49:50 04:41:17 02:55:54 08:30;25

4. Justin Daerr USA 00:50:25 04:48:07 02:56:17 08:38:12

5. Mike Aigroz CHE 00:50:05 04:42:51 03:04:01 08:40:24

Heather Jackson Dominates Pro Field with Course Record at IM Lake Placid

Heather Jackson (USA) showed toughness and determination as she battled a competitive women’s professional field to claim victory at the 2016 IRONMAN^® Lake Placid triathlon. Jackson pulled off a brilliant run with a finish time of 9:09:42, a new course record.

Top five professional women’s results:

SWIM BIKE RUN FINISH