Triathlon: Ford Ironman World Championships-Baldwin’s most accomplished performance for 10th place |15 October 2010
Having qualified at Ironman Austria in July, Baldwin has finished 10th out of 38 in the 18-24
Making his debut in the event, Baldwin also achieved an overall placing of 252nd out of over 1,800 competitors, including 121 professionals.
He tackled the 2.4-mile ocean swim, 112-mile cycle and 26.2-mile marathon run in temperatures of 40 degrees.
Baldwin completed the swim in 1 hour 4 minutes 38 seconds (1h04:23 for 20th place in the 18-24 age group).
In a race notorious for strong winds and extreme heat, the conditions were typically challenging, but Baldwin had an excellent bike leg with a time of 5h05:34 (average speed of 22mph) that helped him make his way up to 11th.
“Once I was on the bike, I felt really good and was able to get stronger as the ride progressed,” said England-based Baldwin.
His marathon time of 3h27:22 seconds gave him an overall finishing time of 9h42:41.
He explained that the 26.2-mile run started with athletes running down the famous Ali'i Drive with supporters lining the streets to cheer them on.
Athletes then ran along the highway through the lava fields, where the heat reflected off the rocks, increasing the ground temperature to 54 degrees.
“It was such an amazing experience to take part in the greatest triathlon in the world. I am delighted with the result and it was without a doubt my most accomplished performance to date,” added Baldwin, who carried the Seychelles flag in the parade of nations and when crossing the finish line.
Baldwin added that in a sport where triathletes don’t reach their peak until their 30s, “the result will give me great confidence ahead of future races. I am already making plans for next season and I hope to return to the Ironman World Championships next year and improve on my result”.
His next scheduled Ironman race is Ironman South Africa in Port Elizabeth in April 2011.
Chris McCormack from Sydney, Australia, captured the title of toughest endurance athlete with a time of 8h10:37, and 40 seconds behind was German Andreas Raelert (8h11:17).
Belgium’s Marino Vanhoenacker finished third around a minute further back.
In the absence of England's three-time world championship Chrissie Wellington, who was unable to compete due to flu-like symptoms, health and fitness guru Mirinda Carfrae, 29, of Brisbane, Australia, won the women's division in 8h58:36 – the fourth fastest overall time ever recorded at Kona. Runner-up Caroline Steffen of Switzerland finished 7:24 slower (9h06:00), while Julie Dibens ran home third in 9h16:00.
Ironman triathlon was born in Hawaii in 1978 with only 15 athletes tackling the 2.4-mile ocean swim, 112-mile cycle ride and 26.2-mile marathon run.
G. G.