Racing for 2017 is set to explode into gear with a double-dose of top-shelf racing this weekend. Ironman 70.3 Dubai boasts a field that would be more befitting of a world championship line-up, while in South Africa, Jodie Cunnama chases an unprecedented seventh straight win.
Text By Laura Siddall | Images By Witsup
Loaded Line up in Dubai 70.3
Well if you want a race line up to kick off 2017, look no further than Ironman Dubai 70.3 this weekend! With 26 women on the start list, I’m not sure where to start trying to pick out favourites for this race, with the additional factor of not knowing where people are in the season preparation and who’s going to come out firing in 2017.
The top four finishers from 2016 all return, Daniela Ryf, Caroline Steffen, Kaisa Lehtonen and Jocelyn McCauley.
Ryf of course, as current World Ironman Champion, is the one to beat but, in 2017, the professional women’s field will be hoping to close that gap and prove that she is indeed beatable.
Caroline Steffen starts her 2017 campaign and is always a formidable force when racing. She’s not nicknamed Xena for nothing! The Swiss also has a new training base for 2017, so they say a change is s good as a holiday so watch out for a refreshed and rejuvenated Steffen.
Kaisa Lehtonen had a fabulous day in Kona in 2016 finishing fifth with a 3:03 run split. She finished third in Dubai 70.3 in 2016 and will be challenging for that top spot.
McCauley loves racing in the Middle East and was fourth in 2016. Unfortunately, she went off course at Ironman Bahrain 70.3 in December but, with her first Ironman win under her belt in 2016 at Ironman Mallorca (another 3:03 marathon), she’ll be looking to stay on course for a great performance in Dubai.
Sarah Crowley won Ironman Bahrain 70.3 in December to take the title of the 2016 Middle Eastern Champion. Crowley is really coming in to form now and will hope that the Middle East is again a good omen for her when she lines up in Dubai.
Ellie Salthouse is definitely one to watch in 2017, not that she wasn’t in 2016. She had a break out season, and we feel will just continue to get better and better in 2017! Salthouse kicks of her year and will be definitely challenging for the top spot and podium in Dubai.
Add in the newly signed BMC Ettixx team member Emma Pallant, as well as recently married Radka Kahlefeldt (nee Vodickova), up and coming Kirralee Seidel, super swimmer Lucy Charles, tough and classy Emma Bilham, as well as German Laura Philipp, who was seventh at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships and the race is going to be hot!
Oh yes and don’t forget also the likes of experience and power of Yvonne Van Vlerken, Lindsey Corbin, Maureen Hufe, Diana Rielser and keep an eye out for Kimberley Morrison from Britain too.
Ironman 70.3 Dubai 2017 Start List
50
Lehtonen
Kaisa
WPRO
FIN (Finland)
51
McCauley
Jocelyn
WPRO
USA (United States of America)
52
Deckers
Tine
WPRO
BEL (Belgium)
53
Schmitt
Natascha
WPRO
DEU (Germany)
54
Van Vlerken
Yvonne
WPRO
NLD (Netherlands)
55
Lendway
Heather
WPRO
USA (United States of America)
56
Bilham
Emma
WPRO
CHE (Switzerland)
57
Crowley
Sarah
WPRO
AUS (Australia)
58
Corbin
Linsey
WPRO
USA (United States of America)
59
Bartlett
Nikki
WPRO
GBR (United Kingdom)
60
Salthouse
Ellie
WPRO
AUS (Australia)
61
Philipp
Laura
WPRO
DEU (Germany)
62
Morrison
Kimberley
WPRO
GBR (United Kingdom)
63
Pallant
Emma
WPRO
GBR (United Kingdom)
65
Riesler
Diana
WPRO
DEU (Germany)
66
Seidel
Kirralee
WPRO
AUS (Australia)
67
Charles
Lucy
WPRO
GBR (United Kingdom)
68
Hufe
Mareen
WPRO
DEU (Germany)
69
Thoren
Annie
WPRO
SWE (Sweden)
70
Hooijman
Pleuni
WPRO
NLD (Netherlands)
71
Schulz
Jenny
WPRO
DEU (Germany)
72
Torres
Raquel
WPRO
DOM (Dominican Republic)
73
Kahlefeldt
Radka
WPRO
CZE (Czech Republic)
74
Ryf
Daniela
WPRO
CHE (Switzerland)
75
Steffen
Caroline
WPRO
CHE (Switzerland)
76
Czesnik
Maria
WPRO
POL (Poland)
Cunnama Chases The Super Seven In South Afruca
Racing under her new married name, Jodie Cunnama (nee Swallow), returns to see if she can take a seventh straight win at Ironman 70.3 South Africa. Jodie has won this race the past six years, that’s more than an impressive effort. So to say she knows the course is probably an understatement.
Another Brit, who also spends much time in South Africa, and also knows the course and the country, is Susie Cheetham and having finished behind Cunnama a few times, she will be looking to change that. In this race in 2016, Cheetham came off her bike and broke her elbow, yet still amazingly carried on to finish. Full credit to one tough woman! She also unfortunately also had to pull out of the Ironman World Championships in 2016 too, so we hope that’s she’s back to her scintillating best in 2017 and of course stays safe and upright!
Challenging the two Brits will be native South African, Annah Watkinson. Watkinson was third in 2016 and will be wanting to end the British domination in this race!
Ironman 70.3 South Africa 2017 Start List
20
Cunnama
Jodie
WPRO
United Kingdom
21
Watkinson
Annah
WPRO
South Africa
22
Cheetham
Susie
WPRO
United Kingdom
23
Jerzyk
Agnieszka
WPRO
Poland
24
Bartlett
Nikki
WPRO
United Kingdom
25
Collogne
Jeanne
WPRO
France
26
Konschak
Katja
WPRO
Germany
27
Lester
Sarah
WPRO
Australia
28
Moeller
Kristin
WPRO
Germany
29
Polak
Kamila
WPRO
Austria