Making the comeback, bigger than the setback. On Sunday, December 4th, at 0546 hours, the Aysen Fjord listened for the third time to the honk of the horn of the Patagonman ferry boat.
It was a truly Patagonian day. Extremely rough conditions were about to force a race with no swim. There were winds of more than 40 knots and a very strong current in the fjord. “Finally an extreme protocol with the Chilean navy, allowed a short version of the swim course. This is what we internally call "Plan C" - said Ignacio Valdivieso, the Race Director.
Athletes from all over the world jumped in 12°C water and swam straight to Puerto Chacabuco before the sunrise.
Bike gear on, and the competitors headed to Villa Cerro Castillo. For the first half of the course, a strong and cold rain gave the athletes no rest. For the second part, the sun was out, accompanied by a strong head wind and cross wind gusts, turning the extreme triathlon into a brutal mental fight. The athletes had to fight the weather conditions at the same time that they faced a challenging road, which included four bike segments with no tarmac and tough gravel.
Along the run, the fastest athletes battled the heat while enjoying magnificent views of Cerro Castillo and the lakes around it. However, for the slower competitors, the mind blowing scenario was overcast by rain and cold which they withstanded proudly.
On the men's side, Ben Hoffman took the champion’s “boina” (local Patagonian beret) followed by Kevin Jervis from California and in third place came Scott Whittlestone from the UK.
On an exciting day of racing, the women were the center of attention. The tight competition was followed and enjoyed by the local crowd. Caroline Livesey was the first to ring the bell in Puerto Ibáñez and took her own “boina” as 2022 champion. In second place, came Maggie Rusch from the UK and the podium was completed by Saleta Castro from Spain.
It was definitely the most competitive edition of Patagonman for the women field.
At 2246 hours, after seventeen hours of intense competition, the bell rang for the last time and, once again, history was made!