First Woman Double Ironman World Champion to Race at Laguna Phuket

Leanda Cave of Great Britain, the newly-crowned 2012 Ironman and Ironman 70.3 triathlon
double World Champion – only the second-ever triathlete to achieve this feat in the same
year - will head a stellar line-up of elite talent at the Ironman 70.3 Laguna Phuket on 2
December.

 

Cave achieved her feat at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Las Vegas on 9
September, followed by the full Ironman World Championship on 13 October in Kona,
Hawaii.

She is the first woman and only the second triathlete to win both World Championship titles
in the same year, after Craig Alexander of Australia took the two titles in the men’s field of
2011.

Cave’s appearance at Laguna Phuket will be just her third race after her Kona triumph; she
is due to compete in the Miami Ironman 70.3 on 28 October and Ironman Arizona on 18
November.

Debbie Dionysius, Assistant Vice President of Destination Marketing, Laguna Phuket,
said: “We look forward to welcoming this superb double World Champion to our event.

“She signed up for our Ironman 70.3 just hours after becoming 70.3 World Champion in Las
Vegas and told us how excited she was about coming to Laguna Phuket again.

“We were absolutely thrilled when she won the full Ironman World Championship in Kona –
it’s a fantastic coup for us to attract the first-ever current women’s double World Champion.”

Cave’s appearance at Laguna Phuket sets up a fascinating encounter with 2011 Ironman
70.3 World Champion and defending Ironman 70.3 Laguna Phuket Champion Melissa
Hauschildt of Australia, who came fourth behind Cave in Las Vegas and will be eager not to
lose another title to her.

Ironman 70.3 Laguna Phuket, the third edition of this triathlon, is preceded on 25th November
by the 19th edition of the Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT), the legendary triathlon which Cave
raced in 2006 when she finished second behind Samantha McGlone of Canada.

Both LPT and Ironman 70.3 Laguna Phuket attract a field of one thousand athletes from
around the world and are linked by a Tri-Fest of training and social activities at Laguna
Phuket during the week between the two Sunday races.

With some athletes opting to take on the challenge of competing in both events, there are
a number of intriguing duels in store, one of the most prominent between Laguna veteran
Belinda Granger of Australia and Czech Olympian Radka Vodickova who are both vying to
become LPT’s first-ever women’s triple Champion as well as lining up against each other
again a week later in the 70.3.

Italian Massimo Cigana, LPT’s first-ever triple Champion in the men’s field last year, returns
to defend his title in a bid to be a four-time Champion.

He will face stiff opposition from elite pros such as American Chris Lieto – an Ironman
champion renowned as the fastest cyclist in triathlon – who is keen to make up for his Phuket
debut last year when he was forced to retire from the 70.3 after crashing on the bike course.

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Lieto is also in Phuket to support Laguna’s community fund-raising with his More Than
Sport charity, which will see international athletes join the effort to raise
THB 2 million for the resort’s new “Fully Booked!” mobile learning centre and library
project for rural schools.

The annual triathlon carnival at Laguna Phuket also involves the local community, with
hundreds of local volunteers involved, schoolchildren lining the course routes to cheer on
the athletes, and support from local government and police.

Both events provide a tourism showcase for Phuket and Thailand, generating worldwide
publicity and comment.

For further information: www.lagunaphukettriathlon.com and www.ironmanphuket.com