Recapping Spec-Savers Ironman South Africa 2007

Marieka Barnard follows up on Spec-Savers Ironman South Africa 2007

In an incredibly thrilling men's race, defending champion, Belgium's gerardus Schellens ran a phenomenal 2:43:20 course record marathon to snatch the title away from hometown hero Raynard Tissink for the second consecutive year. For six-time ford Ironman World Champion Natascha Bodmann, though, the day's racing was an exercise in domination as she dashed to her third consecutive victory in South Africa.

As the early morning African sunrise glittered over the waves of Hobie Beach in Port Elizabeth, a canon's thunderous bang sent close to 1,500 triathletes into the water for the start of the South African leg of one of the world's most grueling triathlons - the Ironman.

Athletes faced strong currents and swells of two to three meters in what proved to be a very challenging 3.8 kilometre swim leg. With pumping winds tugging and lashing at athletes in the water, South African Carl Storm took the early lead while Swede Bjorn Andersson and South Africans David Hyam, Glen Gore, Brett Wood and Raynard Tissink, followed hot on his heels.

Exiting the water in time of 00:56:18, Storm raced to the transition ……. Ahead of second placed Andersson. Tissink conserved his energy in the swim but stayed with the lead pack to exit the water in sixth place, just over two minutes behind Storm. Defending champion, Gerardus Schellens was far off the leading men’s pace and only managed to exit the water in 26th, seven minutes behind Storm.

Storm’s lead into the cycle did not last for long as Bjorn “Hell on Wheels” Andersson quickly showed the men why he is known as one of the fastest cyclists in the world. Andersson annihilated the rest of the male field for the full 180 kilometres with his demonic average speed of over 40km/h. Coming into the run transition, Andersson was a whopping 14 minutes ahead of second placed Tissink. Schellens caught up with the leading men on the bike but still had five kilometres of cycling to complete with the top men already over two kilometres into the run. At his transition into his running gear, Schellens had a huge 22-minute deficit to eliminate if he was to have any chance in the race.

Meanwhile, in the ladies race, Tereza Macel from Canada took the lead after the swim leg followed by the chasing pack made up of Natascha Badmann, Scotland’s Bella Comerford and Italian Edith Niederfriniger. After the race Badmann joked about how she spoke to her bike, Cheetah, while she was coming into the cycle transition. “Cheetah, you are home, now you must run!” she said laughingly. And “run” her Cheetah definitely did. Badmann comfortably showed her back to Macel for first place in the cycle, which was also the last the pack of chasing ladies would see of Badmann for the rest of the day. Niederfriniger, Comerford, and Macel were left to battle it out for second and third place.

It was clear that the 2007 Spec-Savers Ironman South Africa winner would be determined by the last discipline of the day – the 42.2 kilometre marathon. Tissink was quickly catching up to a sluggish and pain-ridden Andersson on the run. The Swede was forced to retire due to a pulled calf muscle around the 12-kilometre mark and Tissink became the race’s new leader. In true Ironman sportsman spirit a disappointed but supportive Andersson gave Tissink a pat on the back as he passed him.

Tissink looked set to reclaim his Ironman South Africa title as crowds cheered him on throughout his strong run. Behind him, however, the feisty Belgian was running the marathon of his life, carving into Tissink’s lead with every step he took.

From 19th place into 16th, 5th, 3rd, 2nd …Schellens was in a league of his own as he flew past the male pro athletes at an average of four minutes per kilometre. With only three kilometres to the finish, the dual was on as Schellens hunted Tissink down to leave a mere 600-metre gap between them. Tissink fought bravely to keep him at bay, but the Belgian was too strong. Schellens took control of the Spec-Savers Ironman South Africa with only two kilometres to go. Within seconds he had created a lead of close to 200 metres.

Schellens shattered his own run course record of last year taking only 08:33:04 to wrap up the race and place the Spec-Savers Ironman South Africa 2007 title safely next to his name in the history books. Tissink applauded the crowd as he finished in second with a time of 08:36:06, while Badmann’s countryman, Swiss Stefan Riesen, came third five minutes and 32 seconds behind Tissink.

In the women’s race, the “Swiss Miss” Badmann had a perfect day and controlled the race through the cycle and the entire marathon. Her trademark smile glowing, Badmann lit up the field and swept the crowds into the palm of her hand. Badmann finished her superb race in a new ladies course record of 09:22:00 to secure her third Spec-Savers Ironman South Africa women’s title and eighth position overall. Niederfriniger was second to cross the finish line with a time of 09:47:01, while Comerford took third position in a time of 09:48:40.

As the darkness set out over Port Elizabeth, the spirit of the Ironman South Africa laid in the eyes of those last athletes struggling to bring their weary bodies over the finish line – the amateurs who had enough willpower and belief in themselves to say that anything is possible. With glow sticks, banners, whistles, horns, voices and applauding, spectators carried the last athletes to the end of the race. At 11:55 the last athlete was welcomed to the finish line with an eruption of spectacular fireworks. As another hugely successful Ironman South Africa event was officially brought to a close, a goosebump moment of emotion hung over the crowd and tears shot up into many eyes. The finish line was no more – but the knowledge that anything is possible remained.

MEN
1. Gerardus Schellens BEL 08:33:04
2. Raynard Tissink RSA 08:36:06
3. Stefan Riesen SUI 08:41:38
4. Petr Vabrousek CZE 08:48:18
5. Carl Storm RSA 09:06:44

WOMEN
1. Natascha Badmann SUI 09:22:00
2. Edith Niederfriniger ITA 09:47:01
3. Bella Comerford UK 09:48:40
4. Cora Vlot NED 09:52:40
5. Heleen bij de Vaate NED 09:58:24

Story provided by Ironman South Africa