投稿者: TMJ Otsuka

懸案となっていた今年の男子のIRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPの会場が発表となった。

会場はフランスのニースで、開催日は9/10（日）となる。2024年では男女の会場を入れ替え、2026年まで決定しているとのこと。ニースはトライアスロンとしても有名だが、様々なスポーツの拠点として、最高の舞台であることをアピールしている。ツールドフランスのファイナル、2024年のオリンピックなど、スポーツ大国フランスのイメージは強くなって来ている。

ついに２会場となってしまったIRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP。つまり世界選手権の門が大きく開かれたことになる。やるからには、プロ選手のレベルアップも期待したい。特に女子はトップ10のバトルが見れるように。また、IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPのステータスとは何か。それは、大多数を占めるエイジ選手だが、速いと言うこと。30代であれば男子はSUB10、女子はSUB11。そのレベルが更に上がることが望ましい。

以下、大会NEWSとなる。

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IRONMAN ANNOUNCES HISTORY-FILLED SPORTING DESTINATION NICE, FRANCE AS MEN’S RACE LOCATION AND CO-HOST FOR 2023 VINFAST IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

 
“In 2022, we saw the power of a two-day IRONMAN World Championship, one with dedicated race days for professional women and professional men. We believe in this concept not only to showcase the depth of both the women’s and men’s fields but also to invest further into the growth of the sport of triathlon. Nice, France, as the European birthplace of long-course triathlon is the right place to showcase this evolution,” said Andrew Messick, President & Chief Executive Officer for The IRONMAN Group. “We are grateful to Mayor Estrosi and the City of Nice, who share our vision of creating a world-class championship race for the men in 2023, and then the women in 2024.” 

Over the years Nice and the Cote d’Azur have staked a claim as a major sporting destination, hosting many sports events of a global scale. As the capital of the Alpes-Maritimes on the French Riviera in the southeast coast of France, Nice became the birthplace of long-distance triathlon in Europe in 1982 when it first hosted the “Triathlon International de Nice”. From 1994-2002, Nice was host to the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships five times. The triathlon became an IRONMAN® event in 2005 and Nice has been one of the most popular locations on the IRONMAN race circuit, hosting both IRONMAN France, IRONMAN 70.3 Nice France, as well as hosting the pinnacle event in the IRONMAN 70.3 Series, the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in 2019.
 
In addition, from 2010-2016, Nice hosted the “Open de Nice Côte d’Azur” tennis tournament and the Figure Skating World Championships were held in the city in 2002 and 2012. During the 2016 UEFA European Championship a total of four games were played at Stade de Nice. World-class football made a comeback in 2019 as the Stade de Nice hosted six games of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. This year, Nice will be host to four games of the 2023 Rugby World Cup and was also most recently named as the Final Stage for the Tour de France.
 
In adding the co-host duties of the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship, Nice has proven to become a popular and historically significant sporting hub with a history and cultural locale to attract the world’s elite athletes. Nice Mayor Estrosi has played an instrumental role in working diligently with IRONMAN to have Nice be awarded, with Kailua-Kona, as co-host of the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship.
 
“Nice has established itself as a true land of sports and has become a reference point recognised throughout the world,” said Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice. “Every year, it hosts recurring large-scale events such as Paris-Nice cycling race which will celebrate its 90th anniversary next March, IRONMAN France Nice, and IROMAN 70.3 Nice triathlons, which are now held over the same weekend in June, as well as the Alpes-Maritimes marathon, the Prom’Classic and the Half-Marathon. In the next few months, Nice will be shining even brighter, thanks to hosting the biggest of competitions, such as the IRONMAN World Championship, 2023 Hopman Cup in tennis, the 2023 Rugby World Cup with 4 matches at the Allianz Riviera, the historic arrival of the 2024 Tour de France and the 2024 Olympic football events.

 
“I was deputy sports director of the city of Nice when we organised the first editions of International Triathlon of Nice, where there were great stars like Mark Allen, Yves Cordier, and Paula Newby-Fraser and naturally I saw Nice’s capacity…to be a world-class event in this discipline. But I didn’t imagine that one day we could have such recognition. It was an honour to organise an IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in 2019 and it showed IRONMAN, Nice’s potential to organise an event like this.”
 
Triathlon’s elite have had important moments in Nice while also building their career accolades in Kona. The Queen of Kona, Paula Newby-Fraser, who won the IRONMAN World Championship a remarkable eight times, could just as easily be known as the Queen of Nice with four victories at the Triathlon International de Nice, the most of any female athlete. Mark Allen, a six-time IRONMAN World Champion earned an incredible 10 wins in Nice, including epic battles with current IRONMAN France Race Director Yves Cordier. Also showcasing Nice as one of the most prestigious triathlon destinations in the world are the other history makers who have graced transition zones in Nice over the years, including stars of the sport Natascha Badmann, Erin Baker, Leanda Cave, Mirinda Carfrae, Tine Deckers, Frederik Van Lierde, Luc Van Lierde, Simon Lessing, Scott Molina, Julie Moss, Peter Reid, Dave Scott, Karen Smyers, and Scott Tinley, among others.
 
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 have been adjusted to compensate for the change in time of year for the men’s edition of the IRONMAN World Championship. Updated information can be found at www.ironman.com/im-world-championship-2023-slot. 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 Nice and its history:
With its mix of old-world opulence, year-round sunshine, and stunning seaside location, Nice is the unofficial capital of the Côte d’Azur and the fifth-largest city in France with a population of 350,000 inhabitants. A magnet for beachgoers and culture-seekers since the 19th century, this coastal city has fabulous markets, an enticing old town, glorious architecture and a wealth of high-end restaurants. Known for its attractive location on the Mediterranean Sea, Nice has long transformed from a touristic hotspot into a cultural and economic hub. With one of the largest international airports in France located just minutes away from the city, Nice is easily accessible and welcomes over five million visitors every year as one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. Beyond the beauty of the area, Nice was founded in approximately 350 BC and also offers a rich culture built by some of the greatest painters, writers and musicians the world has known. The City features the second-most museums in the country after Paris and research in industry, science and advanced technology since the creation of such centers as Acropolis and Sophia Antipolis to the West of the city center. With outstanding cuisine and culture, Nice embodies all the benefits of a historic coastal city. For those who really want to soak up the Riviera vibe, there’s no better place.
 
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. Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.

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.