New Ironman 70.3 World Champion to Race Laguna Phuket
Welsh Superstar Cave’s entry sets up Thrilling Title Duel
In a major coup for Ironman 70.3 Laguna Phuket, recently-crowned 2012 Ironman 70.3 World
Champion Leanda Cave has joined the ranks of top professional athletes set to appear at
this year’s event.
Cave signed up for Laguna Phuket less than 24 hours after completing her epic World
Championship victory in Las Vegas on 9 October – and before resuming training for her next
title bid at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii on 13 October.
Her Laguna confirmation has set up a thrilling duel with 2011 Ironman 70.3 World Champion
and defending Laguna Phuket 70.3 Champion Melissa Hauschildt of Australia - beaten into
fourth place in Las Vegas by Cave – who will be eager not to lose another title to the Welsh
superstar.
“To have the brand new Ironman 70.3 World Champion immediately accept our invitation
to race at Laguna Phuket is a testament to the drawing power and popularity which
characterises our race on the pro circuit,” said Debbie Dionysius, Assistant Vice President of
Destination Marketing, Laguna Phuket.
“Attracting such top talent is an indication of the international stature we’ve achieved and
we’re looking forward to a fantastic display of world-class competition.”
The Laguna Phuket 2012 competitive mix is also fuelled by Czech Olympian Radka
Vodickova and Australian veteran Belinda Granger – both vying to become the first women’s
Triple Champion of Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT), a week earlier on 25 November – and
also with points to prove in the 70.3.
Cave, an ITU World Long Distance Champion, is hitting peak form in the run-up to Kona and
Laguna, despite an indifferent start to the year that followed a spectacular end to her 2011
season when she recorded a third-place finish at the Ironman World Championship, a win at
Ironman 70.3 Miami, runner-up finish at the ITU World Long Distance Championship in Las
Vegas and her first Ironman title in Arizona.
Born in the UK, Cave emigrated as a child to Australia, before moving back to the UK with
her Welsh mother. She now lives and trains in Tucson, Arizona and races for both Wales and
Great Britain.
Cave is no stranger to Phuket, having raced LPT in 2006 when she was second-placed
behind Canadian Samantha McGlone, who then went on to become 2007 Ironman 70.3
World Champion.
Hauschildt, currently battling back from an injury-hit season, made a determined defence of
her World 70.3 title in Las Vegas, but her fourth place was more than seven minutes behind
Cave’s winning time of 4:28:05.
At Laguna Phuket she’ll be aiming to hold off the challenges of Cave, Rodickova, Granger
and a field of other top pros to hold onto her 2011title, which she won with a course record of
4:17:01.
In the men’s field, American Ironman Chris Lieto, with three top 10 finishes in the Ironman
World Championships, will race both LPT and the 70.3, while confirmations are awaited
from more big names, such as two-time 70.3 World Champion and 2011 Laguna 70.3
Champion Michael Raelert of Germany, and Australian legend Craig Alexander, 2011
Ironman World Champion and Ironman 70.3 World Champion.