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The Toughest Show on Earth
- The Toughest Show on Earth
RACETIME: 15:05
Where else would it be appropriate to see one athlete finish his 63rd Ironman two days after his 63rd birthday?
Where else would seem just right for a modest former high school teacher to finish his 100th Ironman?
Where else would a former world champion decimate a talented field in order to prove to himself that he still have what it takes?
Where else would a guy who has finished second in his age group twice pull off the win while dedicating his race to a seven-year-old girl who needs a below-the-knee amputation?
Ironman Malaysia, of course. They call this the ?Toughest Show on Earth.? The organizers and athletes revel in the fact that this event is simply too tough to be imagined.
Air-conditioned tents at the finish line feel like saunas. The components cook in timing boxes left in the sun. Pros who overcome brutal heat at Ironman venues around the world wilt in the sun here in Langkawi.
All that seems to just attract many of the amazing athletes who have been competing here today. They come for the challenge. They come to experience this beautiful country. The come because the people here are so welcoming.
When John Wragg (seen in the picture finishing with Elizabeth Model) finished his 100th Ironman, he did it on a course that truly personifies what this race is all about. Faris Al-Sultan proved to himself that he has what it takes to win the Ford Ironman World Championship again ? because he was able to race so well in some of the toughest conditions imaginable. Manube Ueda did his birthday in style here ? because he finished a race that requires the heart of an Ironman to even contemplate. Jean-Luc Boulanger no-doubt received a bit of inspiration today because of the little girl he?s raising money for. It?s hard to complain about being hot when you know there?s a little girl who will have to contend with a lost leg for the rest of her life.
As has become the norm at Ironman Malaysia, we?ve seen it all. Competitive racing. Inspiring performances. It?s been quite a day ? thanks for joining us, and a big thanks to all the volunteers and officials who made it all possible.
Granger evens the score
- Granger evens the score
RACETIME: 14:39
After Yvonne van Vlerken cruised to an 8:51 at an Ironman distance race in Germany, Belinda Granger arrived in Malaysia determined to even the score.
"This is Belinda's playground," van Vlerken said before the race. "She?s going to be very tough."
Van Vlerken obviously knew what she was talking about. Granger won this race through a strategy designed to demoralize the speedy blond from the Netherlands, a strategy designed by her coach, Brett Sutton.
"That?s exactly what he told me to do in Canada two years ago," Granger said after the race. "Get a lead off the bike, but don't go out too crazy in the marathon and just make them work, so every time they look at their watch they've only made up 30 seconds, or they've only made up a minute, so it really starts getting demoralizing and they end up blowing up. It happened with Lisa and it happened with Yvonne. It's a strategy that works. I'm never going to be a three-hour marathon runner, so I have to think of other ways of making sure that other girls don?t catch me."
The strategy worked to perfection in Langkawi today. An eight-minute lead off the bike was down to less than three minutes with 10 km to go. Four kilometers later, the lead was safely up to five minutes ? and van Vlerken simply had to concede that on this day she couldn?t compete with the tough woman from down-under.
"I had so much pain and I tried so hard," van Vlerken said after the race. "I tried, but I couldn?t go any more. My legs were hurting like hell. The other two times [I raced an Ironman distance race] I didn?t have any pain. It's a whole different race, but I already knew that."
Next for Granger is Ironman China in April, followed by another showdown with van Vlerken in Germany this July. She'll head into that race with a bit more confidence after her impressive performance today.
"I think it was really important for me to get this win over Yvonne," Granger said. "She really did make Jo (Lawn) and I look pretty ordinary in Germany last year. I knew that this race was going to suit me rather than Yvonne."
Don't think that van Vlerken won't be equally determined to beat her rival later this year.
"We will see each other in Germany," said van Vlerken. "It's one to one right now, we'll have a nice fight again in July."
Faris proves he's still one of the best
- Faris proves he's still one of the best
RACETIME: 13:59
Faris Al-Sultan didn't have the race he'd hoped for at the Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt last year. At least he got to race there, though - a stomach bug kept him from even being able to start the race in Kona.
Which left the usually easy-going and relaxed German feeling a bit of pressure coming into this race here in Malaysia. Despite his prohibitive favorite status, he was all-too-aware that this is a race that isn?t necessarily won by the fastest athlete - the winner here is often the one who can endure the brutal conditions better than their competition.
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