2017 Ironman Western Australia TEAM Tri Coaching Race Report

This edition of Ironman Western Australia was like no other. The swim was cancelled due to a shark sighting, which was handled very professionally by Ironman. The weather also decided to play a factor with the hot temperatures causing a bushfire on the course and some of the later starters were affected by having their bike distance shortened.

TEAM Tri Coaching had 16 Athletes toe the start line including 4 first timers. Some athletes handled the temperatures very well and others suffered.

We managed 2 Kona Qualifications with Siobhan Qualifying for the first time.

Results:

Sophie Bubb:

Sophie was coming off a 9th place in the Hawaiian Ironman World Championships. The extended travel (Sophie travelled from the UK) did not affect Sophie and she came away with the Age Group win, 2nd Female Amatuer and another Hawaii Spot finishing in 8hr 48min which was also the fastest athlete from TEAM.

Siobhan McCloskey:

Shiv as she is known has had a few years away from the Ironman distance to ensure her body was ready for her next IM Race. Shiv executed a great race from start to finish and was in control all day. Crossing the line in first place in the 18-24 Age Group in 9hr28min secured her first qualification to Hawaii for 2018. Shiv also won her age group by a huge 40min.

Tom Callaghan:

Little Tom as he is known was also backing up from Hawaii. This was Tom’s 3rd Ironman in 6 months and Tom gave it everything. He was like a lot of other athletes and added too much spice to his bike leg and suffered late in the run. With the experience from previous races, Tom was able to dig deep and knuckle down to push through his toughest race to date. Tom crossed the line in 9hr 4min which gave him 2nd in his age group. Unfortunately for Tom, this didn’t get his another spot for Hawaii. Tom’s season has been nothing short of outstanding and after a good rest period, we are excited for what we can produce in 2018.

Emma Kilgour:

This, in our eyes was the performance of the day. Emma was toeing the start line for her first Iron Distance race. Emma didn’t faulter all day and stuck true to her race plan.   Emma nailed a 3hr 50min Marathon to run herself into 5th position. This race will no doubt take Em up a notch to challenge for a podium in her upcoming races.

Nadine Edwards:

Nadine had a great day, although her size meant that she was knocked around by the wind on the bike a fair bit, however true to form Nadine didn’t let this affect her mindset and hit the run determined to chase those ahead of her. Getting in T2 in 17th Position, Nadine just focused on 1 lap at a time and started to pick athletes off 1 by 1. Crossing the finish line in 9hr 42min after a 3.47 marathon meant Nadine improved her placing by 9 places to finish 8th in her age group. Another gritty performance.

Jarrod Draper:

Jarrod came to WA with a great prep, ultra consistent and in great form.   Another athlete sho is super consistent and rarely puts a foot wrong. The cancelled swim didn’t altar Jarrod’s mindset as he set about the race. A super solid race to cross in 8hr 57min meant that Jarrod was short of his Kona dream. We all know that he is not far away and look forward to the next journey.

Stephen Hill:

Hilly had his best race to date. A reputation of being a heavy sweater placed doubts early on due to the forcasted temperatures.   A race plan which was more focussed on intake vs times/placing was in place. Suffering on the bike with some minor cramps didn’t impact Hilly’s mindset and as he set out on the run the body came good. Late in the run, Hilly’s conservative start was rewarded as he started to make progress towards the front of the age group. Crossing the finish line in 16th place was a great reward for an excellent race – 9hr 11min

Lucy Loughman:

The ever consistent Lucy was having another solid day sitting in the top 10 in her age group for the majority of the race. Late in the run, Lucy started to suffer from the heat which put a stop to her getting any closer to the front. Lucy crossed the line in 13th place with a 10hr 16min finish time.

Caroline Ashby:

Caroline (like Tom) was having her 3rd IM start in 6 months and was also backing up from Hawaii. A tough day out on course and true to form and reputation, Caroline toughed it out to the finish line. Crossing the line in 9hr 57min gave Liner 14th in her age group. Another athlete who has had an outstanding 2017.

Ryann Mills:

A tough day from start to finish for Ryann. Suffering from cramps from mid ride, Ryann just battled on. Onto the run, the cramps never subsided and Ryann went into conservation mode to ensure that he got to the finish. A 9hr 43min time was not what he was after, however the satisfaction of never giving in made everyone of his support crew super proud.

Emma Goodall:

Another Emma who was hitting the start line for the first time and another Emma that had a great day. Em G was super consistent all day and crossed the line in 12hrs finishing 27th in her age group. This experience will set Em up for rapid improvements in her upcoming races. Throughout the whole race, Emma was smiling and soaking her first experience. Awesome Job!

Xavier Gaspirini:

Another 1st timer to IM, Xav was full of nerves. With the cancelled swim (Xav’s favourite leg) the mindset changed as it is the discipline that Xav prefers.   Xav got on with the task ahead and was determined to get his maiden Ironman race completed.   A smartly pace race form the get go had Xavier ticking off the k’s by running rather than walking. A big congrats to Xavier for becoming an Ironman for the 1st time! Time 11hr 16min

Ken Stratton:

Ken is the people’s Ironman. The ever enthusiastic athlete who just loves what he does. This was evident across the day as he was in fine form by the moment he crossed the start line right until the end, even through the tough patches.   Although the swim was cancelled, Ken managed to improve his previous bike/run combined times buy a whopping 50min.. A fantastic for a super disciplined day – 10hr 16min

Jason Daye:

The toughest ones are the ones you learn from the most. And Jason had a tough day.   Jas will learn so much from this race and his next race will show signs of this. 11hr 57min

Julian Sill:

An interrupted prep, we put a run/walk plan in place so Silly could get to the finish line. This was executed from the first run/walk to the last and ensured Julian got his finishes medal. Not even a beer offering late in the race was going to altar the plans. Great work! 13hr 04min

Haydn Paynter:

Haydn unfortunately had a DNF in his 1st IM. His body not being able to keep any nutrition down on the bike meant his day was cut short just over mid way.   Those who know H will know the he is not happy with this outcome and will be back for revenge in the future.