投稿者: TMJ Otsuka

LEGENDARY IRONMAN ANNOUNCER MIKE REILLY HANGS UP THE MIC AFTER MAKING HIS FINAL CALLS AT NUTRI GRAIN IRONMAN NEW ZEALAND

“ Voice of IRONMAN ” ことマイク・ライリーが最後のレースを終えた。

アイアンマンには様々な人々が関わっているが、その一人がライリーだ。フィニッシュラインでMCとして温かく選手を迎えてくれるあの人。そのキャリアも33年という長いもので、アイアンマンワールドチャンピオンシップ43回に大きく関わっている。

「当たり前」だったライリーの「You are an IRONMAN」を聞くことはできなくなったのだ。メディアスタンドにいれば何度も何度も聞かされる「名台詞」は、文字通りの言葉の意味とともにアイアンマンの「称号」を得たことに対する祝福の気持ちが込められている。

とにかく、「その声」はパワフルだった。メディアスタンドにいると大きなスピーカーから大音量で聞くことになるのだが、そんな機械的な音量のことではない。選手一人一人に気持ちを込めて見事な声量で祝ってくれる。そして、今や有名な人物として、選手もその声を待っているのだ。

「You are an IRONMAN」。

単純な言葉だが、その言葉をきっかけに思うことは、選手それぞれ感慨深いものがあるのではないだろうか。

以下、大会NEWSとなる。

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TAUPŌ, New Zealand / TAMPA, Fla. (Dec.12, 2022) –The IRONMAN community has bid an emotional farewell to Mike Reilly, the most famous voice in the sport of triathlon, after a storied career spanning 33 years, 33 IRONMAN World Championship events, and a total of 214 IRONMAN events all over the world. Throughout his career, Reilly’s iconic call of ‘You are an IRONMAN!’ welcomed nearly half a million IRONMAN athletes across the finish line. Acknowledging his importance not only to IRONMAN but also the endurance industry as a whole, Reilly was inducted into the IRONMAN Hall of Fame in 2011, Running USA Hall of Champions in 2017 and USA Triathlon Hall of Fame in 2018.

Reilly, known as the “Voice of IRONMAN”, officially hung up his microphone on Saturday, December 10 as the clock struck midnight at the 2022 Nutri-Grain IRONMAN New Zealand triathlon, calling his now iconic four words, ‘You are an IRONMAN!’ to last finisher Ron Skelton, to the cheers of the hundreds of spectators who stayed up late to be at the finish line to witness the celebration.
 
Skelton was a last finisher befitting of Reilly’s last call, with the 63-year-old himself completing his 35^thIRONMAN New Zealand in 16:52:52, just under the 17-hour cut off.
 
After the 17-hour cut off rolled over on the stroke of midnight, it was time for Reilly to officially call time on his incredible career. Minutes later, Snow Rameka from Māori iwi Tūwharetoa presented Reilly with a special pounamu and iwi members performed a haka in the finish chute as a final show of respect, thanks, and farewell to the man who has given so much to the endurance industry.

IRONMAN New Zealand was the first IRONMAN outside of the United States that Reilly announced, and it is an event he says is one of his favourites in the world.
 
“I couldn’t have written the script any better, the passion and the knowledge of New Zealand for IRONMAN, and the love for it, no other place in the world I think displays that as much as this place, so that’s why I wanted to be here,” said Reilly.
 
Reilly is stepping away from his announcing career to spend more time with his family. Though he knows his decision is the right one, he says he’s going to miss being at finish lines sharing the camaraderie with his second family; the IRONMAN athletes, supporters, volunteers, and everyone else associated with these events.
 
“I feel elated, I feel loved, I feel passion and I feel I gave it everything I had for 33 years for the athletes because that’s what it’s all about. I feel it’s time, it’s definitely time, because I wanted to make sure that every time I called someone an IRONMAN it was like the first one, and tonight proved that to me,” he said.
 
Throughout his last day on the mic, Reilly spoke about what’s kept him going for so many years and why he loves the sport as much today as he did 33 years ago, the people and the challenges they have overcome to make it to an IRONMAN start line.
 
“I want to say that I’ve seen it right before my very eyes at finish lines all over the world, that truly ‘Anything is Possible,’ it’s not just three words. People have overcome so much to get to an IRONMAN start line and an IRONMAN finish line, and what I say to you, if you think you can, you will. Do it and watch how your life will change for the rest of your life. I can’t wait to see you do it from afar.”
 
Reilly will always be known as the ‘Voice of IRONMAN’ and for the four words every athlete in the world now hears when they cross an IRONMAN finish line – whether it’s their first time, or in the case of 2022 IRONMAN New Zealand last finisher Ron Skelton, 35 times.
 
“Mike Reilly is a legend, it’s so cool to have him here,” said Skelton. “Awesome, totally awesome, fulfilment, achievement, I’ve knocked this thing off as they would say. There were lots of people at the finish this year, bit louder, this is the latest finish I’ve ever had – five minutes to spare. I’m getting older and it just hurts more but it’s still just as good.”
 
Athletes from across New Zealand and all over the world flocked to Taupō to be a part of Reilly’s last call. Wendy Parker flew from Victoria, Australia so she could be called home by Reilly one last time.
 
“It’s what I came over here for, when I found out this was his last race it was on my bucket list to do that, it’s pretty special. To be honest that’s why I came over here. The weather wasn’t in the brochure but I’m so excited, so, so excited, I’ve ticked that off now,” said Parker.

In celebration of his career and to give back to the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race communities Reilly, along with The IRONMAN Foundation which Reilly serves as an IRONMAN Foundation Captain, is auctioning one-of-a-kind IRONMAN collectibles to benefit race communities around the globe. The auction will showcase a rally towel used by Reilly during his final season as the “Voice of IRONMAN” before his retirement, as well as official finish line tapes from the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship and Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission autographed by the top professional men and women finishers.
 
In the mid-90s, Reilly started waving a rally towel at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i to energize the crowd as much as possible. “The louder I make it for each finisher in the final hours of their race day, the better,” said Reilly.
 
The rally towel up for auction has been used by Mike Reilly at nearly all of the IRONMAN races he has called for the past ten years; it has “Anything is Possible” inscribed on the front, embroidered with Mike Reilly’s signature and will be placed in a shadow box display provided by Fond Memories Graphics. Bidding on these items is open now through 11:59 p.m. ET on December 16, 202 by visiting www.ironmanfoundation.org.
 
“I’ve been fortunate to be a part of The IRONMAN Foundation as its Ambassador Captain for the last six years,” shared Mike Reilly. “One of the only regrets I have in my career is not getting involved with The IRONMAN Foundation sooner. I’m excited to get to give back to all the amazing IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race communities around the world that have welcomed me with open arms, by gifting this special rally towel to The IRONMAN Foundation to raise money for the important work they do.”
 
For more information on Mike Reilly, visit www.mikereilly.net.

For more information on Nutri-Grain IRONMAN New Zealand visit www.ironman.com/im-new-zealand. For more information on the auction and The IRONMAN Foundation, visit www.ironmanfoundation.org. For more information on IRONMAN and events in The IRONMAN Group portfolio, visit www.ironman.com.

「まさにレースは選手だけではなかったことをあらためて思った。」

Triathlon “ MONO ” Journalist　  Nobutaka Otsuka

来年のKONAについて重大な発表となった。

2日間の開催は成功としていたが、最善な利益とはならないという結論を出した。そして、来年のKONAでは女子のレースだけを開催し、男子に関しては別日程、会場にて検討中であることを発表している。その決定は来月1月となる。また、2024年では男子と女子の開催場所を交換になるとも。

2日間の開催はやはり厳しかった。今年のKONAの前から発表していた2023年の2日開催だったが、早々に変更となった。男子のKONA以外。再びセントジョージも有力候補なのだろう。やや迷走状態であることは否めない。

以下、大会NEWSとなる。

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COMMITTED TO HOSTING DEDICATED IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACE DAYS FOR WOMEN AND MEN, IRONMAN ANNOUNCES PLAN FOR DUAL HOSTS FOR VINFAST IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

– IRONMAN reaffirms commitment to providing women a dedicated day of racing after historic two-day 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship
 
– Women’s field to race in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i and men’s field race location being evaluated and expected to be announced in January 2023; Women’s and Men’s race locations to flip for 2024

TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 30, 2022) – Following the first-ever two-day IRONMAN World Championship and a continued commitment to providing women and men their own dedicated day of racing, IRONMAN announced today that the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN^® World Championship triathlon will move forward with two different host venues. To ensure that both professional and amateur women and men have a focused IRONMAN World Championship race experience, the women will race in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i on October 14, 2023, with the men’s race date and location outside of Hawai`i currently being evaluated and expected to be announced in January 2023. For 2024, the men and women would exchange locations.

The 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship was held this past October in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i over two days for the first time in the history of the event, showcasing the very best women and men in the sport while giving both their deserved spotlight. With the future dual host locations and separation of race weeks, the women’s and men’s races will each garner further attention with all eyes focused on the race week activities and lead up to their respective IRONMAN World Championship race days.

While the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship two-day format was a success in many areas and the two-day format in Kailua-Kona for 2023 had already been announced, IRONMAN and the County of Hawai’i concluded together that the impact of two days of racing in Kona is not currently in the best interest of the local community.
 
“We are reinforcing our commitment for a dedicated world championship race experience for women and men to each receive an exclusive spotlight on their race. Hawai`i is in our DNA and we look forward to the first-ever exclusively women’s world championship race week in Kona. At the same time, we are looking forward to announcing a co-host location for the men’s race that will be worthy of an IRONMAN World Championship and will capture the imagination of our athletes and fans,” said Andrew Messick, President & Chief Executive Officer for The IRONMAN Group.
 
Hawai`i is the proud birthplace of IRONMAN and despite not being able to undertake a two-day world championship event at this time, it will continue to be an important part in the shared history of IRONMAN, with Kona continuing as a co-host of the IRONMAN World Championship.
 
“Hawai`i County has long enjoyed partnering with IRONMAN and this year’s epic races were another example of world-class athletic competition held on the traditional Kona-Kohala world championship course,” said Hawai`i County Mayor Mitch Roth. We learned, however, that more than one race day during IRONMAN week is too many for the community to manage. We are pleased that IRONMAN plans to return to Kailua-Kona as a co-host of the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship and look forward to more exciting events in the future.”

With this major move to ensure dedicated IRONMAN World Championship racing for both women’s and men’s fields, the qualifying cycle and slot allocations will be slightly adjusted. Allocations may be viewed here, www.ironman.com/im-world-championship-2023-slot with further adjustments to occur in line with the Men’s Championship race location announcement, expected to occur in January. Additionally, all athletes who have previously qualified and registered for the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship will be contacted directly with additional information.
 
Additional notes on women’s IRONMAN history
IRONMAN has a long and rich history of women influencing the brand and the sport of triathlon since its very first days being co-founded in 1978 by husband and wife duo, John and Judy Collins. In just its second year, the Hawaiian IRONMAN triathlon saw Lyn Lemaire tackle the exact same distances and standards as the men finishing fifth overall of 15 starters, at a time when not even the Olympics allowed women to compete in long distance events. Since then, impactful moments, athletes, and leaders like Valerie Silk, Julie Moss, Paula Newby-Fraser, and a host of others have showcased what women could achieve leading the way for future generations. Encouraging continued growth of females in the sport saw the introduction of equal pro prize money since it was first introduced by IRONMAN in 1986, making triathlon one of the very first adopters of equality in sports pay. In the years that have followed, the influence and importance of women in the sport has continued to grow and it is with this in mind, that the pinnacle IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship events offer opportunity for a separate and fully dedicated race day and experience. More information on the important part women have played in IRONMAN’s history can be found at www.ironman.com/women-of-ironman.

For more information about the IRONMAN World Championship, please visit www.ironman.com/im-world-championship. For more information on the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 brands and global event series, visit www.ironman.com.

男子のオフィシャルフォトは、ブルンメンフェルトとカヌートの競り合いなどリアルなイメージが伝わって来る。

THROUGH THE LENS – DAY 2: TOP IMAGES FROM THE 2022 INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTHCARE IRONMAN 70.3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY UTAH SPORTS COMMISSION

ST. GEORGE, Utah (Oct. 29, 2022) – The 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN® 70.3® World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission triathlon once again returns to St. George, Utah, and the Land of Endurance. The two days of racing features nearly 100 professionals and 5,500 age-group athletes on Friday, Oct. 28 as professional and age-group women take the course followed by the professional and age-group men on Saturday, Oct. 29. In all, Greater Zion has hosted three world championship IRONMAN or IRONMAN 70.3 events in the past 13 months showcasing why it is known as the Land of Endurance.

Athletes at the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission took on a 1.2-mile (1.9km) ROKA Swim Course in the Sand Hollow Reservoir located in Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane, Utah; a challenging 56-mile (91.3km) FULGAZ Bike Course that treks through stunning desert landscapes with 3,201 feet (1003 meters) of elevation gain and an unforgettable climb into Snow Canyon State Park and surrounding Washington County; and concludes with the two-loop 13.1-mile (21.2km) HOKA Run Course through historic downtown St. George where the finish line is located, with the route also showcasing Dixie Red Hills Golf Course (the first golf course in St. George) on one end and the beautiful Vernon Worthen Park on the other.

IRONMAN70.3世界選手権のDay2が開催された。KONA同様、日程を2日間に分け、2日目の男子が開催された。

この「IRONMAN70.3」も男子は、特にIRONMANへ直結したイメージが強く、70.3での活躍がIRONMANへの予備軍となっている流れがある。

男子に関しては、ほぼ優勝が見えていた。やはり、今年5月と3週間前に開催された2度のIRONMAN世界選手権でそれぞれ優勝となったクリスティアン・ブルンメンフェルトとグスタブ・イデンのノルウェーの両選手が圧倒的に本命となっていた。繰り返しになるが、ブルンメンフェルトは、ショートの2020TOKYOとロングのIRONMAN世界選手権を1年以内に制した二刀流だ。一方、イデンは昨年のIRONMAN70.3世界選手権を制し、3週間前のIRONMANをコースレコードで優勝しているノルウェーの最強2トップなのだ。

結果は、ブルンメンフェルトの優勝となった。ただ、女子のように圧勝ではなく、2位カヌートとの競り合いを制しての勝利だ。カヌートがスイムをトップグループで泳ぐ中、二番手グループでマイペースのブルンメンフェルト。バイクで徐々に上げるも出たり、下がったりとしたいつもの走りだ。側から見ればギリギリ競り合いのように見えるが、そのコントロールされた走りは、ランでの勝負に備えるクレバーな走りだ。圧勝ももちろん素晴らしいが、1分以内で勝負を決める精度の高さはブルンメンフェルトならではの見事な走りだった。

オリンピック、IRONMAN、IRONMAN70.3を手にしたブルンメンフェルトは、フロデノを超える世界最強トライアスリートとなった。ショート、ミドル、ロングのそれぞれのスピード域に「同タイミング」で対応できるパフォーマンスは無敵だ。今後も注目が集まるばかりだろう。

KRISTIAN BLUMMENFELT CAPTURES VICTORY AT THE 2022 INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTHCARE IRONMAN 70.3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY UTAH SPORTS COMMISSION

ST. GEORGE, Utah (Oct. 29, 2022) – Adding to his long list of recent achievements, 28-year-old Norwegian Kristian Blummenfelt commanded the race today, coming in first place at the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN^® 70.3^® World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission. The 2021 IRONMAN World Champion and Olympic gold medalist held the competition at bay with a 22:53 swim, a 2:01:03 bike, and a 1:11:39 half marathon to break the tape in 3:37:14, just weeks after a third-place finish at the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship.
 
“My goal was to try to put pressure on Magnus (Ditlev) and Gustav (Iden) early on the bike. I felt strong all the way. On the run I tried to hold back as much as possible before putting it in second gear,” said Blummenfelt.
 
The second day of racing opened with a 1.2-mile swim in Sand Hollow Reservoir, where Aaron Royle (AUS), Marc Dubrick (USA), and Ben Kanute (USA) formed an immediate gap on the main group. An unfortunate wrong turn at one of the buoys by Royle resulted in the chase group catching back onto the leaders, stringing the field out. Near the end of the swim, the lead three put in a surge to form a small break, but it was still a mass of athletes storming into the first transition area together.
 
Saturday’s race in St. George, Utah showcased the men’s professional field, with many top athletes, including Blummenfelt, just three weeks off of the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Hawai`i. In the mix were reigning IRONMAN World Champion Gustav Iden, as well as Blummenfelt and many other IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon specialists.
 
Royle and Dubrick entered transition 1 first, with Kanute shortly behind. Eric Lagerstrom (USA) led a large group 20 seconds behind the leaders, including Miki Taagholt (DEN) and Germany’s Frederick Funk. Pre-race favorite Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) was 30 seconds back, with Gustav Iden (NOR) and Magnus Ditlev (DEN) 45 seconds back.
 
After a lightning-fast transition, the current IRONMAN 70.3 record holder Blummenfelt stormed onto the bike course, taking the lead immediately. Kanute, Taagholt, Ditlev, and Funk worked hard over the opening miles of the bike behind the Norwegian.
 
At the halfway point of the 56-mile bike ride, Blummenfelt was still in command of the race with Funk, Taagholt, Kanute, and Ditlev in line behind him. After the Snow Canyon climb, Ditlev rode himself to the front where he stayed until the end of the bike.
 
With Ditlev into the second transition and Blummenfelt and Funk on his heels, the chase was on. Blummenfelt took off on the first few miles of the run as he had on the bike, commanding the lead. Iden was down five minutes after the bike ride and later dropped out of the race. Kanute surged ahead of the Norwegian at mile 2, taking the lead. Blummenfelt stayed in his shadow, apparently content to let the American lead the pace. Ditlev remained about a minute back, while Taagholt led a group over three minutes in arrears.
 
At mile 10, a calm, confident Blummenfelt decided to make his move, which he later said was reminiscent of his effort at the mixed relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The smiling athlete ran to the win, high-fiving the thousands of fans that turned out to watch in St. George, and raising the banner once again, as he has so many times in his illustrious career.
 
Though Kanute was unable to ultimately keep the pace with Blummenfelt, he fought hard, earning his second IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship second place finish. Ditlev ran across the line in third, almost three minutes back, with the German duo of Mika Noodt and Frederick Funk taking fourth and fifth.
 
While pleased with his accomplishments of a WTS World Title, Olympic Gold Medal, IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, and IRONMAN World Championship, Blummenfelt, shared his third-place finish in Hawai`i still leaves him hungry: “You can’t get a revenge in Kona outside of Kona–it’s been on my mind every day for three weeks now. I have to go back there to finish my business.”
 
But redemption was felt by the likes of Ben Kanute, who said at the finish line that the year has been really hard, due to sickness and other setbacks: “I hit a new level of fitness coming into this race. I just went out there and took it. Kristian did all the hard work at the front, I was just super focused trying to stay in the moment, enjoy the day, and enjoy racing. That was the most fun I’ve had out on a race course in a long, long time. To see where I stacked up in the world is what I really wanted, this is more than I could’ve asked for.”
 
In what has been significant performances for the Scandinavians at recent world championship events, Magnus Ditlev shared how important it is for his fellow competitors to push each other. “It is crazy, the times we live in with the Danish and Norwegian [triathletes], it is very positive, inspiring. I can only speak for the Danish but last year Daniel came in third and Miki was forth, so we sort of push each other in a way and not try and root against each other but bring out the best,” said Ditlev.
 
Top five professional men’s results:

A replay of today’s men’s professional competition can be viewed on Outside+.
 
For more information about the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission event, please visit www.ironman.com/im703-world-championship. To learn more about the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 brands and series of events, please visit www.ironman.com.

オフィシャルによるフォトは、ニブの素顔からロケーションの素晴らしさが捉えられている。

THROUGH THE LENS: TOP OVERALL IMAGES AND STORIES FROM THE 2022 INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTHCARE IRONMAN 70.3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY UTAH SPORTS COMMISSION  – DAY 1

ST. GEORGE, Utah (Oct. 28, 2022) – The 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN® 70.3® World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission triathlon once again returns to St. George, Utah, and the Land of Endurance. The two days of racing features nearly 100 professionals and 5,500 age-group athletes on Friday, Oct. 28 as professional and age-group women take the course followed by the professional and age-group men on Saturday, Oct. 29. In all, Greater Zion has hosted three world championship IRONMAN or IRONMAN 70.3 events in the past 13 months showcasing why it is known as the Land of Endurance.

Athletes at the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission took on a 1.2-mile (1.9km) ROKA Swim Course in the Sand Hollow Reservoir located in Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane, Utah; a challenging 56-mile (91.3km) FULGAZ Bike Course that treks through stunning desert landscapes with 3,201 feet (1003 meters) of elevation gain and an unforgettable climb into Snow Canyon State Park and surrounding Washington County; and concludes with the two-loop 13.1-mile (21.2km) HOKA Run Course through historic downtown St. George where the finish line is located, with the route also showcasing Dixie Red Hills Golf Course (the first golf course in St. George) on one end and the beautiful Vernon Worthen Park on the other.

昨年に続き、ユタ州セントジョージでIRONMAN70.3の世界選手権が開催された。セントジョージは、5月にもIRONMANの世界選手権が開催された会場だ。壮大なスケール感は、KONAとは違った魅力と迫力を感じる世界選手権の会場に相応しいロケーションとなっている。そして、3週間前のKONA同様、日程を2日間に分け、金曜、土曜に開催されている。

この「IRONMAN70.3」は、大きな可能性を秘め、次世代のスター選手が誕生する登竜門となっている。もちろん、70.3をゴールとし、そこでの頂点を目指している選手も少なくないが、やはり、IRONMANへの通過点としての期待も大きい。

ヤン・フロデノは、2008年北京五輪でオリンピンの頂点を極め、2015年でIRONMAN初制覇、その後、2016年、2019年と、3度のタイトルを獲っているが、ショートからロングまでを制するサクセスストーリーが、近年確立しつつある。5月にここセントジョージでIRONMANを制し、1年以内にオリンピックとIRONMANのダブル優勝となったクリスティアン・ブルンメンフェルトの記憶も新しいところだ。

そんな注目度の高いIRONMAN70.3のDay1が開催された。注目選手は、ルーシー・チャールズバークレーとテイラー・ニブを本命とし、オリンピアンの女王、フローラ・ダフィがどのように絡んで来るのか、見どころが期待された。

結果は、ニブの安定した走りが他を寄せ付けない強さを見せた。バイクスタート後10分もしないうちにスイムトップのルーシーを瞬間的に抜き去り、そのままバイク、ランでトップをキープして「圧勝」となった。

ニブは、21年のWTCS横浜大会でも優勝しているお馴染みの選手だろう。主戦場はもちろんWTCSであり、オリンピックとなるが、2021年のコリンズカップに出場、マッチで優勝し、「ミドル」の可能性で注目となっていた。特にオリンピアンの弱点となるバイクの強さが際立ち、ノンドラフティングのミドルながらバイクはスペシャライズドのTarmac、つまり、ロードバイクで走ったことも大きな話題となった。同じアメリカのケイティー・ザフィアエス（2019年横浜優勝）はスペシャライズドSHIVを使用していた。

ニブは今シーズンからバイクをトレックに変え、ミドルでは、Speedconceptを使用しているが、前述の通り、トライアスロンバイクを本格的に使用し、実戦に臨む機会が短い中で、2時間14分台のダントツタイムを出しているだけに、今後の更なるパワーアップが確実視されている。男子ではブルンメンフェルトも若いこと（28歳）が話題となるが、ニブは更に若い24歳だけに大きな期待がかかっているのだ。

今回は、スイム3位で上がり、バイクですぐトップに立ち、そのまま独走優勝という完璧な展開に死角は感じられない。ただ、目指すところはオリンピック制覇、そして、IRONMANも視野に入れているだろう。これからに動向に注目して行きたい。

タイトルに「AMERICAN」と出ているが、やはりIRONMANでは、アメリカ選手の活躍をストレートにアピールするアメリカンスポーツであることをあらためて認識させられる。

AMERICAN, TAYLOR KNIBB DOMINATES AT THE 2022 INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTHCARE IRONMAN 70.3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY UTAH SPORTS COMMISSION

ST. GEORGE, Utah (Oct. 28, 2022) – In a day that was all about the sport’s top women, Taylor Knibb of the USA overpowered the competition at the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN^® 70.3^® World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission. At just 24 years old, Knibb used a 23:54 swim, a 2:14 bike, and a 1:21 half marathon to better her third-place finish from a year ago to secure her first IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship title with an overall time of 4:03:20. After being the youngest women to ever qualify for the US Olympic triathlon team where she earned a silver medal in the mixed relay triathlon in 2021, Knibb now also becomes the youngest female to ever to win the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. The Washington, D.C. native also became the first American woman to win the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship since 2008 when Joanna Zeiger won the crown and just the second American female ever.
 
“I can’t really believe it. I’m just grateful that I could execute a good swim, bike, and run,” said Knibb. “That last 10km was very, very long, I can’t believe I made it.”
 
Reigning IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion Lucy Charles-Barclay of Great Britain led the field out on the 1.2-mile swim in Sand Hollow Reservoir with Knibb and Lotte Wilms (NED) trailing shortly behind her.
 
A solid chase group stocked with talent trailed just 20 seconds back, including Olympic gold medalist Flora Duffy (BMU), and former IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion Holly Lawrence (GBR), in addition to Ellie Salthouse (AUS), Paula Findlay (CAN) and Emma Pallant-Browne (GBR). The top 10 women all knocked out sub-25-minute swim times, starting the bike with a host of athletes that could take the top spot.
 
Knibb put her mark on the race when she stormed past Lucy Charles-Barclay barely two miles into the bike course. As the miles ticked by, Knibb put more and more time into her three main chasers—Findlay, Charles-Barclay, and Duffy—who took turns trying to break away from the chase group.
 
Off the bike, Knibb’s victory was all but sealed with a lead of over six minutes. She coasted to a win with a rare buffer of over five minutes on the rest of this world-class field that all fought to the end.
 
The trio of Charles-Barclay, Findlay, and Duffy was off the bike almost seven minutes back of Knibb, setting the half marathon up as a battle for positions two through five. Into transition 2, Lawrence was back over two minutes from the chase group.
 
In the early miles of the run, Pallant-Browne, who had the quickest run on the day passed Lawrence for fifth. But it was Findlay who had the legs to break away from the pack and run into a satisfying second place. In the late stages of the run, Pallant-Browne passed Charles-Barclay and Duffy in an impressive fight for third. Only three weeks from her second-place finish at the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i, Charles-Barclay took fourth, with Duffy rounding out the top five in just her second-ever IRONMAN 70.3 race.
 
“None of my splits were the fastest splits of the day so it came down to consistency across three,” said Findlay. “It was very cold, but I do think that played to my advantage. I never felt too uncomfortable on the bike, I was always in control, and I kept looking at my watts, and they were high but I felt fine so I kept pushing. I started living for the uphill’s where we could warm up a little bit because it was cold on the descents. I felt great on the run, it doesn’t happen often in my career that I feel like the run is smooth and fluid and it happened today so grateful for that.”
 
For Pallant-Browne, it was a good swim and a disappointing bike that propelled her to push on the run. “It was tough. I got on the bike and I was so happy with my swim. I could see the girls around me and for me that was probably the best swim I’ve ever had so I thought this could be an OK day,” said Pallant-Browne. “I think I had no expectations. I just wanted to run fast and if I saw people, great but I was just looking at every aid station and just focusing on each aid station instead. If people came, great, but I knew it wouldn’t be easy overtaking them as everyone is going to go into battle and, yeah, it was really tough.”
 
Top five professional women’s results:

A replay of today’s women’s professional competition can be viewed on Outside+. The professional men will take on the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission on Saturday, Oct. 29 with live race coverage starting at 7:00 a.m. MT / 9:00 a.m. ET on Outside Watch.
 
For more information about the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission event, please visit www.ironman.com/im703-world-championship. To learn more about the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 brands and series of events, please visit www.ironman.com.