The Asia-Pacific Championship is wide open after the top seed withdrew today. Inaugural winner and top seed Annabel Luxford has been forced out of Sunday’s IRONMAN 70.3 Auckland triathlon. The 2013 winner, who was runner-up last year, suffers from asthma and this week has developed a bout of bronchitis as a result. The Australian advised organisers today that she was not well enough to race and disappointed not to compete.
It leaves American Meredith Kessler as the clear favourite in the women’s race from local favourite Gina Crawford in the race that doubles as the official IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship.
The race on Sunday, which doubles as the official IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, comprises a 1.9km swim in the Viaduct Harbour, 90km three-lap bike over the Auckland Harbour Bridge and 21km two-lap run along the waterfront.
The event carries a NZ$90,000 prize purse for professionals and 50 qualifying slots for age group contestants for the 2015 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, and is based at the Viaduct Events Centre, with action beginning from 6:15am.
The full professional fields are:
Males:
1 Terenzo Bozzone (NZL)
2 Tim Reed (AUS)
3 Cameron Brown (NZL)
4 Craig Alexander (AUS)
5 Tim Berkel (NZL)
6 Paul Ambrose (AUS)
7 James Seear (AUS)
9 Leon Griffin (AUS)
10 Joe Lampe (AUS)
13 Mark Bowstead (NZL)
14 Simon Cochrane (NZL)
15 Clark Ellice (NZL)
16 Matt Franklin (NZL)
17 Marcus Hultgren (SWE)
18 Dylan McNeice (NZL)
19 Callum Millward (NZL)
21 Carl Read (NZL)
22 Josh Rix (AUS)
23 Reilly Smith (USA)
24 Leigh Strabryla (AUS)
Females:
32 Meredith Kessler (USA)
33 Gina Crawford (NZL)
35 Amelia Watkinson (NZL)
36 Amanda Bohlin (SWE)
37 Melanie Burke (NZL)
39 Kym Coogan (AUS)
41 Julia Grant (NZL)
42 Kristy Hallett (AUS)
44 Anna Russell (NZL)