Germany wins big at Ironman Championship
October 13, 2019
Anne Haug and Jan Frodeno (above) made history on Saturday by claiming Germany's first ever double gold at the Ironman triathlon in Hawaii.
"It's fantastic, I can hardly believe it myself," Haug told German public broadcaster ARD after crossing the finish line.
The 36-year-old is the first German woman to win the gruelling race, which comprises a 3.8-kilometer (2.36-mile) swim, 180-km bike ride and 42.2-km run.
Frodeno, the 2008 Olympic champion, set a new course record with his unofficial time of seven hours, 51 minutes and 13 seconds —more than 3 minutes faster than the previous record set by compatriot Patrick Lange in 2018.
"My legs are shattered," the 38-year-old said. "I don't care about the record. I won here, in the Wimbledon of our sport, and that's a great feeling."
Frodeno set a cracking pace from the start and worked up a comfortable lead throughout the entire course. It was a different story for Haug, who had to close an eight-minute gap to overtake Britain's Lucy Charles-Barclay during the final marathon stretch. Charles-Barclay came in second, while Australian Sarah Crowley finished in third place.
Frodeno is the first German to win the event three times, following previous victories in 2015 and 2016.
Fellow German Sebastian Kienle claimed third place, behind Tim O'Donnell of the US. Lange — who won in 2017 and 2018 — pulled out during the bike leg after reportedly suffering a fever.
nm/bk (Reuters, dpa)