Wanaka Triathlete Earns Ironman World Championship Medal
Wanaka’s Simone Maier will be on the podium at tonight’s prizegiving ceremony at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.
Maier has finished third in the 25-29 years ago group in yesterday’s gruelling 3.8km swim 180km bike and 42.2km marathon run in the heat and humidity on the Big Island.
The 29-year-old was 17 minutes behind leader out of the water but produced the second fastest bike split of 5:19.11 and third fastest marathon of 3:32.49 to push through the field into the top three.
Forty New Zealand triathletes qualified for the Ironman World Championships this year including 35 age groupers.
Among the other prominent finishers was Beijing Olympic kayak finalist and former world champion Ben Fouhy. Taking some time out of kayaking, Fouhy, a former leading multisport athlete, impressed in finishing 60th in his 30-34 years age group in 10hr 03min 31 sec.
The fastest of the kiwi age groupers was New Plymouth’s Jeff McGrath who clocked an outstanding 9:24.28 to be 11th fastest in the competitive 35-39 years division.
Former Commonwealth Games marathon representative, Craig Kirkwood (Tauranga) completed his first Ironman World Championship, finishing 39th in the same age group in 9:51.33.
The Ironman New Zealand Event Director Jane Patterson also led from the front, completing her first Ironman in a highly respectable 13:08.01.
New Zealand results, ironman World Championships, Hawaii, 3.8km swim 180km bike 42.4km run (time and place in division):
Pro Men: Terenzo Bozzone (North Shore) 8:34.45 (50:55, 4:47.25; 3:02.46) 11; Cameron Brown (Auckland) 8:53.14 (52:50; 4:44.51; 3:12.07) 22; Andrew Mackay (Auckland) 10.17.29, 70.
Pro Women: Joanna Lawn (Auckland) 9:34.45 (57.16, 5:19.09, 3:13.34) 8; Gina Crawford (Christchurch) dnf.
Age Group, Male 25-29 years: Chris Bisley (Dunedin)9.37.16, 15; Richard Swan (Auckland) 10.44.16, 65; Michael Kelly (Tauranga) 11.01.27, 74.
30-34 years: Ben Fouhy (Auckland) 10.03.31, 60; Bevan Littler (Hamilton) 11.08.28, 113; Shaun Brown (Napier) dnf ; Hayden Harper (Nelson) dnf.
35-39 years: Jeff McGrath (New Plymouth) 9.24.28, 11; Andrew Howse (UK) 9.31.11, 14; Craig Kirkwood (Tauranga) 09.51.33, 39; Nicholas Kensington (UK) 10.03.29, 60; Dean Gaskin (Wellington) 10.37.44, 120; Scott Hotham (Auckland) 10.44.04, 123.
40-44 years: Mark Cross (Auckland) 9.50.33, 16; Richard Simonsen (Auckland) 09.56.22, 22; Ian Sharples (Auckland) 10.01.16, 25; David Craig (Wellington) 10.22.41, 72; Dyson Findlay (UK) 10.24.50, 74; Glen McSkimming (Dunedin) 10.43.49, 113; Steve Dean (North Shore) 10.53.34, 133.
45-49 years: Vinnie Duncan (Auckland) 13.22.35, 36; Rob Hoult (Christchurch) 11.23.10, 101; Douglas Scott (Auckland) 11.17.43. 97.
50-54 years: Bruce McClintock (Auckland) 11.43.34, 60.
55-59 years: John Moriarty (Havelock North) 11.50.00, 19.
65-69 years: Peter Wood (USA) dnf.
Female 25-29 years: Simone Maier (Wanaka) 12.10.29, 3; Jo Carrel (Auckland) dnf.
30-34 years: Laura-Clare Whelan (Auckland) 11.02.56, 24.
40-44 years: Lyndy Wickham (Tauranga) 11:20.00. 17; Elizabeth Hayes (Auckland) 11.49.13, 27; Keri Houston (Cambridge) 12.07.18, 38; Jane Patterson (Auckland) 13.08.01, 50.
45-49 years: Marilyn Morrison (Carterton) 13.21.00, 34.
50-54 years: Barb Carson (Wanganui) 14.35.19, 31.