#konavibes2018

[jamesmitchell5]

Kings & Queens of Kona . . . #PatrickLange Patrick Lange is the Kona winner of the last two years. He holds both the run course record and overall course record. So obviously he's the favorite to win Kona 2019 as well? But as the saying goes, you're only as good as your last race. Applying this yardstick and Patrick's disappointing results at IM Frankfurt (11th) and at 70.3 Worlds in Nice (23rd), others are the Kona frontrunners. Then again, this story isn't really new and pretty much a copy of his last two seasons, both of which ended with Kona wins and new course records. Following his performance in the swim and bike will probably require a bit of digging through the tracker data. If he's not on point on race day, we might only see him for short glimpses in the live coverage. But if he manages to get things right again, he'll get a lot of camera time in the second half of the run. .................................................. Bib: M1 Country: GER Career Highlights: Kona Winner 2017 & 2018 x Kona Course and Run Course Record holder x Winner IM Texas 2016 Seeded 3rd by @trirating . . #DanielaRyf It's tough to describe how dominant Daniela Ryf has been for the last few years - I'll just mention that the only time she didn't win an Ironman she finished was her first Kona race in 2014 when it took a course record 2:50 run by Mirinda Carfrae to relegate her to second place. Even jelly fish stings shortly before last year's start didn't derail Dani, and as she's also been able to deal with the immense expectations, it's extremely likely that she'll become the first female to win Kona five times in a row. .................................................. Bib: F1 Country: SUI Career Highlights: Four-time Kona Winner 2015-2018 x Five-time 70.3 Champion 2014, 15, 17-19 x Unbeaten 2018 and 2019 seasons Seeded 1st by @trirating . . Words by @trirating . . . Shot on @canonespana #1dxmkii • #konavibes2018 #roadtokona #ironmanworldchampionship #imwc2019 #Sportphotography #pro_triathletes #triathlonlife #tri365 #trihood #trimotivation #portraitofanathlete (at Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3goVUQoNjG/?igshid=utnhtm5m54jk

[jamesmitchell5]

Kings & Queens of Kona . . . #BartAernouts In the last few years, Bart has been racing well in Kona, with a second place finish last year as his best result. Still, the quiet Belgian probably won't factor in many race predictions. This is partly because he loses a fair chunk of time in the swim (around 6 minutes to Jan Frodeno), and while he has improved his bike in recent years, he hasn't yet become a "bike powerhouse" on the level of Sebastian Kienle or Cam Wurf. His real strength is on the run, especially in the Kona heat. He's one of the few athletes with a sub-2:45 run potential in Kona, and that run speed is what he'll need in order to finish on the Kona podium. .................................................. Bib: M2 Country: BEL Career Highlights: 2nd Kona 2018 x Winner IM France 2014, IM Lanzarote 2017, Challenge Roth 2017, IM Hamburg 2018 Seeded 8th by @trirating . . #LucyCharlesBarclay . In her last three IM-distance races Lucy has shown that she is no longer "just" a swim specialist. She's been consistently riding one of the fastest bike splits and her run has improved as well. As she continues to outswim most of her competition by about six minutes, it will require a very patient "catching up all day long" strategy to beat her. The last two years Daniela Ryf has been able to catch up to her on the bike – maybe this year Lucy will ride even faster to at least make it a race well into the marathon. It'll also be very interesting to see how the gaps between Lucy and the rest of the field will develop and if anyone other than Daniela will have a chance to overtake her this year. .................................................. Bib: F2 Country: GBR Career Highlights: 2nd Kona 2017 & 2018 x Winner IM Lanzarote 2017, IM South Africa 2018 & 19, Challenge Roth 2019 x Swim Leader in all her IM races Seeded 2nd by @trirating . . . Words by @trirating . . . Shot on @canonespana #1dxmkii • #konavibes2018 #roadtokona #ironmanworldchampionship #imwc2019 #Sportphotography #pro_triathletes #triathlonlife #tri365 #trihood #trimotivation #portraitofanathlete (at Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3fgxxvHiDL/?igshid=w5oat6spg6e6

[jamesmitchell5]

Kings & Queens of Kona Series . . . #DavidMcNamee Even after finishing third in Kona 2017 and 2018, there probably won't be too many mentions of David in this year's podium picks. He didn't have a good race in South Africa, the main upshot was his validated Kona podium slot. Challenge Roth wasn't much better, but at least he posted the fastest run split. David's consistent results in Kona (11th, 13th, 3rd & 3rd from 2015 to 2018) are based on his strong marathons (2:49, 2:49, 2:45 and 2:46). Check out the tracker how far back he'll start the run, the last two years he was 12 minutes behind the lead and still able to run his way onto the podium. .................................................. Bib: M3 Country: GBR Career Highlights: 3rd Kona 2017 & 2018 x Winner IM UK 2015 Seeded 10th by @trirating #SarahTrue Sarah has had a number of great results across all distances - even if after a string of fourth places (London Olympics 2012, 70.3 Worlds 2017, Kona 2018) she'd love to finally have a podium result in a big race. Her 2019 season has been anything but smooth: She blacked out in Cairns (at 16k into the run) and in Frankfurt (700 meters before the finish line). She finally secured her Kona slot on the last weekend of qualifying with a second place in Mont Tremblant. She and her team are still not certain what caused the DNFs, but she has shown that she'll still be racing hard for a good result - and she's certainly more experienced and fitter than she was last year. I will closely follow her Kona race and especially her run, hoping she'll be able to fight hard for the whole marathon – and then still be able to cross the finish line with a satisfied smile. .................................................. Bib: F5 Country: USA Career Highlights: 4th Olympic Games 2012 x 4th 70.3 Worlds 2017 x 4th Kona 2018 Seeded 5th by @trirating .. . . #konavibes2018 #roadtokona • Words by Thorsten @ @trirating #ironmanworldchampionship #imwc2019 #Sportphotography #pro_triathletes #triathlonlife #tri365 https://www.instagram.com/p/B3c1fscnlOR/?igshid=1c1vpn7ssbxe7

[jamesmitchell5]

#JanFrodeno Almost everyone you ask for Kona predictions has Frodo at the top of their list. One of the reasons is that Frodo is always in top shape when he starts a race - the only recent race he hasn't won after starting was Kona 2017 when back issues forced him to walk/jog most of the marathon. Another reason is that Frodo is strong in all three legs and has a lot of tactical options. He has won Frankfurt by racing from the front but also in a run duel with Patrick Lange. In Kona he has been swimming and biking well, usually very close to the front in T2, and then the best runner in the front group. I believe that we haven't seen his full run potential yet - so far he was able to manage his lead in the last hour of the race. It would be awesome to see someone challenge him to show everything he has in the second half of the Kona marathon. .................................................. Bib: M4 Country: GER Career Highlights: Kona Champion 2015 & 2016 x 70.3 World Champion 2015 & 2018 x Olympic Champion 2008 x Fastest time on the IM distance 7:35:39, Challenge Roth 2016 Seeded 1st by @trirating #mirindacarfrae Carfrae Last year was Rinny's return to Kona after having daughter "Izzy". Her result was a solid fifth place that most athletes would be happy with, but as a three-time Kona winner, Rinny probably wasn't looking for "just" another Top 10 in Kona. Does she have another great Kona result in her? A broken radius will keep her from swimming much before Kona. She's not known as a strong biker so it's unlikely that she'll make up a lot of ground before she hits T2. For a podium result or better Rinny will need to have a great run – she hasn't yet had a sub-3 marathon after her return to racing. But I'm sure that is exactly what Rinny has been working for in her Kona 2019 prep. .................................................. Bib: F4 Country: AUS Career Highlights: Kona Winner 2010, 2013 & 2014 x Kona Run Course Record (2:50:26, 2014) x 70.3 World Champion 2007 Seeded 6th by @trirating #konavibes2018 #roadtokona • Words by Thorsten @ @trirating #ironmanworldchampionship #imwc2019 #Sportphotography #pro_triathletes #triathlonlife #tri365 (at Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ZAQEcHAwP/?igshid=11yif9hvvrz72

[jamesmitchell5]

Kings & Queens of Kona . #Sebastian Kienle In Kona last year, an Achilles injury forced Sebi to end his race once off the bike. At the start of the year, Sebi wasn't sure if and how well he'd be able to run. But he's made great progress since then, running well in all his 2019 races including second fastest runs at IM Frankfurt and at 70.3 Worlds. He will still lose some time in the swim and will look to work his way to the front in the first half of the bike. Even the strongest runners such as Frodo or Patrick Lange won't be able to put more than a few minutes into him in the marathon. When he's in the lead on the run he'll be very hard to beat, he was able to win all Ironman races that he was leading on the run. Will Sebi be able to take the win in Kona 2019? He is certainly on my short list of candidates. .................................................. Bib: M5 Country: GER Career Highlights: Kona Winner 2014 x 70.3 World Champion 2012 & 2013 x Multiple IM-distance Winner Seeded 2nd by @trirating . . #Daniela Bleymehl Daniela has had two great last seasons with wins in Hamburg, Roth and Italy. This year's A-race in her hometown of Frankfurt ended in a DNF with a stomach bug she caught in race week. But she quickly recovered: Just one week later she improved her PR at Challenge Roth, even if she finished behind Lucy Charles and Sarah Crowley. Danni will lose some time in the swim, but just as in Frankfurt, there will be a couple of other strong bikers around her, and they are likely going to move through the field. It's clear that she will be working hard to put time into those that are likely going to run faster than her. If she can run a marathon around 3:05, there won't be many in Kona that can put more than a few minutes into her, and a Top 10 is definitely doable for Danni. .................................................. Bib: F23 Country: GER Career Highlights: Winner IM Mallorca 2015, IM Hamburg 2017, Challenge Roth 2018, IM Italy 2018 x Multiple 70.3-distance winner Seeded 11th by @trirating #konavibes2018 #roadtokona • Words by Thorsten @ @trirating #ironmanworldchampionship #imwc2019 #Sportphotography #pro_triathletes #triathlonlife #tri365 (at Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3WCJvMnSn4/?igshid=1hbv70en0l0nu

[jamesmitchell5]

Kings & Queens of Kona. . . . #AliBrownlee Ali comes to Kona with a strong palmares from shorter distances races, including two Olympic Gold Medals and two second places at 70.3 Worlds. But it's hard to draw many conclusions for Kona from his single Ironman race, a win at the cold and rainy no-swim, time-trial start IM Ireland. But from the shorter distances we can be pretty sure that he'll be close to the front on the swim and also that he's unlikely to be struggling at the start of the bike. Pretty much everything between a podium and a complete explosion is possible for Ali, but a well-executed race should see him finish somewhere in the Top 10. .................................................. .. . Bib: M24 Country: GBR Career Highlights: Olympic Gold Medal London 2012 & Rio 2016 x ITU World Champion 2009 & 2011 x 2nd 70.3 Worlds 2018 & 2019 Seeded 11th by @trirating #ImoSimmonds Even though Imo is one of the youngest female Pros in the field, she has already had some good results at big races including a second place at IM Frankfurt and a podium at 70.3 Worlds in Nice. It's unlikely that the atmosphere in Kona is going to have much of an impact on her. As a good swimmer, Imo is likely to be close to the front at the start of the bike. Will she go with the strong bikers when they ride by or will she take a more conservative approach to her first race in Kona? Maybe she's also made a step forward in her marathon? Then a Top 10 is in the cards in her Kona debut. .................................................. Bib: F39 Country: SUI Career Highlights: Multiple 70.3 Winner x 2nd IM Frankfurt 2019 x 3rd 70.3 Worlds 2019 Seeded 19th by @trirating . . Shot on @canonespana #1dxmkii • #konavibes2018 #roadtokona • Words by Thorsten @ @trirating #ironmanworldchampionship #imwc2019 #Sportphotography #pro_triathletes #triathlonlife #tri365 #trihood #trimotivation #portraitofanathlete (at Kalaoa, Hawaii) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3TsoIEHfm_/?igshid=hkv5k4incn9a

[jamesmitchell5]

Kings & Queens of Kona 2019 series. . . # Josh Amberger Josh continues to be the best swimmer on the Ironman distance, and he's likely going to be the T1 leader in Kona for the third year in a row. A lot of the dynamic in the early part of the race will depend on his pace at the start of the swim: Will he swim away from everyone else in the field as in 2017 (maybe even going for a course record?), or will he start at a more moderate pace which resulted in a much bigger lead group in 2018? It'll be interesting to see how he's going to approach the swim and the overall pacing for his 2019 Kona race. .................................................. Bib: M36 Country: AUS Career Highlights: Winner IM Cairns 2017 x Multiple 70.3 Winner x "First out of the Water" Kona 2017 and 2018 Seeded 34th by @trirating . . . # Kim Morrison Kim is one of the strongest Ironman athletes on the bike, and when things go well she's able to quickly overcome her swim deficit. In Texas she was able to make up more than four minutes to Daniela Ryf and Jocelyn McCauley and was the first female on the run. In Kona she's probably hoping for tough conditions with lots of wind in order to maximize her bike strength. Which position in the strong and deep Kona field will she have when she reaches T2 in her debut race on the Big Island? .................................................. Bib: F35 Country: GBR Career Highlights: Seeded 30th by @trirating . . Words by @trirating . . . Shot on @canonespana #1dxmkii • #konavibes2018 #roadtokona #ironmanworldchampionship #imwc2019 #Sportphotography #pro_triathletes #triathlonlife #tri365 #trihood #trimotivation #portraitofanathlete (at Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3P-GTsH6PU/?igshid=1d4ia0wkkvoof

[jamesmitchell5]

# Andi Dreitz Andi has quickly found his stride on the Ironman distance. Last year he had a big impact on the Kona race when he was leading the main group (including eventual winner Patrick Lange) for most of the bike leg, but then faded a bit with a 3:02 marathon to finish in 13th place. This year he qualified early in April with a 6th place at IM South Africa, allowing him to race and win Challenge Roth. At 70.3 Worlds in Nice he crashed on the bike but hopefully he'll be recovered from his injuries and is going to play an even bigger role in this year's race! .................................................. Bib: M43 Country: GER Career Highlights: Winner IM Italy 2017 & Challenge Roth 2019 x Multiple 70.3 Winner Seeded 22nd by @trirating . . . # Susie Cheetham Susie has been up and down in Kona: She has two sixth places in 2015 and 2017, but also two disappointments with a DNF in 2016 and a 26th in 2018. Based on this series, she's due for another Kona Top 10 this year. Her win at IM Hamburg has shown that she's ready to hard work on the bike and is then still able to run well. A similar performance in Kona would see her in a great T2 position, ready to fight for a good Kona result on the run. .................................................. Bib: F17 Country: GBR Career Highlights: Winner IM Brasil 2017 and IM Hamburg 2019 x Multiple 70.3 Winner x 6th Kona 2015 & 2017 Seeded 20th by @trirating . . . Shot on @canonespana #1dxmkii • #konavibes2018 #roadtokona • Words by Thorsten @ @trirating #ironmanworldchampionship #imwc2019 #Sportphotography #pro_triathletes #triathlonlife #tri365 #trihood #trimotivation #portraitofanathlete (at Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ObrUAHGLp/?igshid=mlcvhqzq493z