Top professional triathletes from across the region will go head-to-head at IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast this Sunday 8 September.
A strong field will line up on Mooloolaba Beach on Sunday morning, with athletes to take on a 1.9km swim, 90km ride and 21.1km run, with a number of former race winners and up and comers set to race.
Paris 2024 Olympic Games representative Natalie Van Coevorden highlights the women’s field as she returns to the middle distance for the first time since finishing second at IRONMAN 70.3 Melbourne last November.
“I haven’t had the best prep I would say with having some time off post-Olympics and getting COVID on my return home but none of my IRONMAN 70.3 races have been, so I still carry quite a lot of confidence from my other times,” said Van Coevorden. “The Olympics is one day but the emotional roller coast of the past few years really hit home post-race and having Sunny Coast on the horizon was a great goal for me to have to get my motivation back up. I have never raced the IRONMAN 70.3 here but I have raced Continental Cups and the World Cup here many times, so I feel some comfort in that I have a brief idea of the course and the conditions.”
While the 31-year-old has been focused on Olympic-distance racing for the last few years she has dabbled in IRONMAN 70.3 racing, with podium finishes in Melbourne and Bahrain.
In the men’s race Nick Thompson returns to the Sunshine Coast as defending champion following his breakthrough win in 2023. Thompson’s win on the Sunshine Coast kicked off a strong run of results, followed by a second at IRONMAN 70.3 Melbourne, third at IRONMAN Western Australia and a win at IRONMAN 70.3 Tasmania.
“I’m really excited to return to a familiar place that I have raced in a few times now which is much easier and less stressful than trying to figure everything out when you travel to a new race,” said Thompson. “I’m really happy to be racing an IRONMAN 70.3 for the first time since the start of this year which will I think suits me slightly better at this stage of my career. I’m looking forward to battling it out on the course against some top guys and would love to be in a position at the pointy end of the race where I can defend my title.”
Last year’s win was an important one for Thompson with it coming in his first year as a professional. Thompson has had a busy first half of 2024, racing at the IRONMAN North American, Asia-Pacific and European Championships, with the big races continuing with his first appearance at the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Hawai’i next month.
Pro Male Field:
1 Thompson Nick AUS
2 Free Nicholas AUS
5 Osborne Sam NZL
6 Quin Charlie AUS
7 Mcdonnell Daniel AUS
8 Christie Jason NZL
9 Van Berkel Tim AUS
10 Wooldridge Joel AUS
11 Sinclair Harry AUS
12 Harpham Scott NZL
14 Crawford Guy NZL
15 Kerr Matt NZL
16 Dortmann Nathan AUS
17 Boult Michael AUS
18 Sammut Jonathan AUS
19 Tonge Matthew AUS
20 Cloarec Andrea FRA
21 Hauwert Levi AUS
22 Ulloa Martin CHL
23 Lewis Matt AUS
24 Hamilton Ben NZL
26 Cane Dean AUS
27 Somerville Tom NZL
28 Spriggs Jye AUS
29 Amos Calvin AUS
31 Longmuir Hamish AUS
32 Osborne Jarrod AUS
33 Dixon Liam AUS
34 Doggett Sam AUS
35 Noble Caleb AUS
36 Talbot Brodie AUS
37 Lindsay Nathaniel AUS
38 Sosinski Jack AUS
Pro Female Field:
41 Kahlefeldt Radka AUS
43 Van Coevorden Natalie AUS
44 Malowiecki Sophie AUS
46 Heaslip Cassandra AUS
47 Wesley Aleisha AUS
48 Hartnett Chloe AUS
49 Donker Emily AUS
50 Kingsford Samantha NZL
51 Bevilaqua Kate AUS
52 Cranage Paige AUS
55 Knighton Hannah NZL
56 Agnew Milan AUS
57 Morris Kerry IRL
58 Birch Demi AUS