Lisbeth Kristensen Wins Again

Karen Doane profiles Denmark's Lisbeth Kristensen, winner of Soul Ironman Western Australia

When Normann Stadler won his first Ford Ironman World Championship he had but one sponsor. Lisbeth Kristensen, this year's Soul Ironman Western Australia woman's champion can top that. She has no sponsors. In fact, she set a bike course record on a borrowed bike!

Originally from Denmark, where she said it was normal for her to ride 400 km a week to school and around town as a young girl, Kristensen now resides primarily in the mountains of Switzerland. A part-time French teacher who lives with her partner, Olympic triathlete Andrew Johns, Kristensen simply loves to ride.

“I have always ridden a bike to just get around, even in the snow, so it is my favorite part about triathlons,” smiles the ever-beaming Kristensen. “I also like to swim but the run is the tough part for me.”

After winning Ironman Brazil earlier this year, Kristensen was on the Ironman radar as one to watch. Second off the bike at this year’s Ford Ironman World Championship, Kristensen lived up to that expectation. During the run she struggled in the heat but still placed a respectable 11th place.

“I really wasn’t sure how I was going to go only six-weeks out from Hawaii,” recalled Kristensen of her race in Australia. “I just told myself it would be okay and I would do my best. Why not?”

Why not indeed. Her best included a new bike course record for the women –
a blistering 4:50:49. With a lead of over 12 minutes Kristensen said she was ready to end her race in T2.

“When I got off the bike and went into the changing tent I said I was finished,” continued Lisbeth. “Belinda Granger was in there and I told her I didn’t want to run, that my legs were not ready to run a marathon. She encouraged me to get out there and do it so I thank Belinda for helping me change my mind.

“As I was running, I actually felt really good and the next thing I knew it was an hour and I could see I had a good distance ahead of the other girls. Then at 2:45 in the run my thighs hurt so bad, every step was painful. I knew I had about 20 minutes left so I had to break the race down into minutes, sometimes just try to make it to the next marker or I couldn’t keep my body going. I felt bad that I couldn’t give people high fives when I was heading to the finish line, but I’m pretty sure if I had I would have stopped so I’m sorry if I was rude.”

As Kristensen crossed the line as this year’s winner, she did indeed collapse into the arms of waiting volunteers. But minutes later her beautiful smile was back as she returned to the finish line to thank the crowd.

“Today was a great race for me and I am very happy to have won,” beamed Lisbeth. “Now I am ready for a holiday, no running and maybe buy my own bike.”

Seems this beautiful champion deserves all of this and more and hopefully the next time we watch Kristensen her racing jersey will be full of logos.

You may contact Karen Doane at kdoane@ironman.com