The creme de la creme of professional triathlon from around the world will be in Nelson Mandela Bay to compete in the 2018 Isuzu Ironman 70.3 World Championships on September 1 and 2 at Pollok Beach.
Boasting one of the most competitive professional fields in the sport, the event will make history when the Ironman 70.3 World Championship takes place in Africa for the first time.
The field includes Germany’s Jan Frodeno, who spent most of his upbringing in SA and was the 2016 Ironman 70.3 world champion.
Frodeno comes into the race after an impressive victory at Ironman 70.3 Oceanside to start the season, along with a win at the Ironman European Championship in July.
Fireworks are expected in the women’s field as former Ironman Africa champion Daniela Ryf, of Switzerland, will be up against last year’s winner Lucy Charles of Britain.
Last year, Ryf added to her accomplishments a third Ironman 70.3 World Championship title in four years.
She will be looking to repeat as champion this year.
Professional athletes Jeanni Seymour, Magda Nieuwoudt and Annah Watkinson are also among those who will be on the starting lineup on race day.Stellenbosch’s James Cunnama is the only pro South African man taking part.
The Mandela Bay Development Agency’s Luvuyo Bangazi said this year’s professional field was highly competitive, and rated it of the same standard as the US’s Kona in Hawaii.
“This field is much deeper and stronger than [those of] 2017 [and] 2016 combined,” he said.
“Here we have a combination of Olympians in Frodeno, who was a gold medallist in Beijing in 2008.
“We have Alistair Brownlee, the current Olympic champion, Javier Gomez, a medallist at the Olympics.
“So that is insane firepower for any race to have those athletes – these guys are at the top of the league.
“If I was going to be anywhere in the world I would have changed my plans right away, because you can’t miss this one,” he said.
“In the [women’s] field, we have seen how Ryf dominated the field here last year.
“Now we have Lucy Charles, who decimated the field early this year when she won the African Championship.
“The rivalry between those two is insane.
“But, again, Ryf made a world record just two weeks ago by being the only [woman] in the world [yet] to have finished a 70.3 race in under four hours.
“The field is incredible – it’s the second closest to Kona.”
Leading South African professional woman triathlete Annah Watkinson, who recently won the Bela Bela 5150 race, said of the pro field: “I think it’s great for a number of reasons.
“It’s a world-class event and it’s hosting world-class athletes.
“[It’s] an opportunity to showcase South Africa, specifically Nelson Mandela Bay.
“So it’s going to be a proper competition.
“The women’s field is strong – it’s the ‘who’s who’ of triathlon,” she said.
“As always, I am working very hard and training a lot.
“I am also focusing on my weakness, my bike and swim.
“Lucy Charles is a phenomenal swimmer and very good in the other two disciplines.
“There is also Ryf, who came both one and two in the Ironman world championships.
“There is another South African in America, Jeanni Seymour, [who] has been lighting up the world stage.”
Although 70.3 is not her race distance – she is more of a full Ironman athlete – Watkinson said she did not have great expectations of the race but would like to see improvement in her performances and be in a competitive position.
Meanwhile, former Nelson Mandela University human movement science student Cunnama said he was not shaken by this year’s field.
“It is World Champs and you can always expect a strong field,” the 2014 70.3 Ironman Buffalo City winner said.
“I think this year is no different. While the big names like Frodeno, Gomez and Brownlee will take most of the headlines, there are many men on the list who can podium or even win.
“I like racing in strong fields in big races, and this time I have a home-ground advantage.”
● Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip will host public meetings to discuss road closures and related matters with businesses and residents for the world championships.
The meetings are scheduled to take place at Summerwood Primary on Tuesday, Walmer Town Hall on August 20, and Seaview Community Hall on August 21.
The meetings start at 6pm.