There are four other athletes who have finished irondistance races in less than nine hours during the past two seasons who will be on the starting line in Hawaii, each one of them has the ability to influence how the race will unfold and perhaps even pull off an upset. Bella Comerford (GBR) Comerford, a Team TBB member, has been a race demon this season with six Ironman finishes as of mid-August: Florida, Western Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Lanzarote and Austria, plus UK 70.3. She won in South Africa and Lanzarote and was second in Austria.
Gina Ferguson (NZL) Ferguson, a math teacher turned violinist turned pro triathlete, may be a rookie in the sport but she’s wasting little time getting up to speed. In the last 12 months she won Ironman Wisconsin, came in second at Ironman Western Australia, won the Quelle Challenge iron-distance race in Wanaka, New Zealand, and was third at Quelle Challenge Roth.
Joanna Lawn (NZL) Lawn won her sixth consecutive Ironman New Zealand in March and set a course record in the process. A superb cyclist, she’s been making great strides with her run. She was fourth in Kona last year—one of her three topfive finishes on the Big Island.
John Segesta/johnsgesta.com
2 0 0 8 Hawaii Ironman Preview
Best of the Rest
8 4 T R I AT H L E T E
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NOVEMBER 2008
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T R I AT H L E T E M A G . C O M