German triathlete Patrick Lange became Ironman world champion for the third time in the night from Saturday to Sunday Belgian time. Hattrick Lange won the fastest Ironman Hawaii World Championship ever in an unimaginable time of 7:35:53. No fewer than 16 pro triathletes finished under 8 hours in a race in which reigning world champion Sam Laidlow set a new course record in cycling, completing the 180 km under 4 hours. He later had to pay dearly for this unprecedented achievement. Ultimately, the Dane Magnus Ditlev and the Belgian American Rudy Von Berg took the silver and bronze. Stenn Goetstouwers was the best Belgian in 26th place. Pieter Heemeryck gave up in the final phase of cycling.
The Dutchman Menno Koolhaas, who had barely been able to walk in recent weeks due to an injury, was the first to emerge from the water after a fast swimming number after a 3.8 km swim, in which this time it was not the waves, but the jellyfish that posed the biggest challenge. A large group of more than 20 triathletes followed in the wake of Menno Koolhaas. Stenn Goetstouwers and Pieter Heemeryck came together in a chasing group around place 40 from the Kailua Bay, 3 minutes from Koolhaas. The Dutchman was not the fastest swimmer, by the way. Just like in the Ho’Ala Swim on Sunday, Australian age grouper Sam Askey-Dorna was faster than the pros. He set a new swimming record with 45’43.
Sam Laidlow cycles 180 km in less than 4 hours
Sam Laidlow smashes the cycling record in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii (photo; 3athlon.be)
There were many victims during the 180 km of cycling. There was less wind than usual on the Big Island and so we had a very fast race, driven by the French reigning world champion Sam Laidlow. He attacked alone and rode to a phenomenal course record. He was the first person ever to complete a 180 km bike ride on the Queen K under 4 hours. It made Kristian Blummenfelt puke, literally. The Norwegian would no longer play a significant role afterwards. He would only finish 35th. Compatriot Gustav Iden also did not have his day, just like outsider Rasmus Sveningsson who cycled last. Pieter Heemeryck also didn’t have his day and lost a lot of time before getting out in the final phase.
Meanwhile, Sam Laidlow took almost 6 minutes ahead of the Swede Robert Kallin. The Dane Magnus Ditlev, one of the top favorites, followed third at 7 minutes. Patrick Lange followed in 13th at more than 9 minutes. But the two-time world champion had organized his race well and while an overheated Laidlow completely collapsed, Patrick Lange moved into the lead. Magnus Ditlev was the only one who could limit the damage a bit and behind the Dane we had a lot of position changes again, with a surprisingly strong Menno Koolhaas, Rudy Von Berg and Leon Chevalier.
Patrick Lange won the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii for the third time in a new course record: 7h35’53. He ran a marathon of 2h37 and had a great party at the finish line, where he dedicated the win and the world title to his mother who passed away 4 years ago. Magnus Ditlev took second place at 7’45. The American triathlete with Belgian roots Rudy Von Berg came third at 10’06. Leon Chevalier was hardly able to cool himself during the marathon, but still took fourth place ahead of the Dutchman Menno Koolhaas, who wrote history by finally achieving a top 10 place for the Netherlands again after Frank Heldoorn.
Stenn Goetstouwers 26th
A tired Stenn Goetstouwers after the finish in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii (photo: 3athlon.be)
For the Belgians it became a race in the background. While Pieter Heemeryck did not have his best day, a week after his fourth place in the T100 Lake Las Vegas, Stenn Goetstouwers advanced to 26th place during the marathon. Wuustwezel’s Tank finished in a time of 8h11’01, a time in which you would have beaten Jan Frodeno in 2015. Nicola Christiaens was the best Belgian age grouper with fifth place overall and the world title in the M25 category in 8h34’39. You can read more about this in a separate article on 3athlon.be.
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