10th Ironman thriller

GERMAN Nils Frommhold and Switzerland’s Simone Brandli became the 10th anniversary champions with contrasting victories in the Ironman SA event held in good conditions on the Port Elizabeth beachfront yesterday.

Another highly successful event, the 10th birthday of which was rated so special by the athletes that it was sold out six months in advance, the race confirmed PE’s status as the Ironman capital of Africa, and it proved a memorable occasion for the winners.

Frommhold led from the early stages in the men’s event and once he had established a four-minute lead during the 180km cycling leg, he was never in danger of being overtaken. He ran comfortably in the marathon leg to finish in eight hours, 26 minutes and seven seconds – six minutes ahead of second-placed Kyle Buckingham of South Africa.

- Neale Emslie