Berasategui and Llanos will fight to improve their positions last year in the Ironman of Hawaii
The Bilbao woman Virginia Berasategui and the man from Vitoria Eneko Llanos are the Spanish assets in the great triathlon event of the year, the Ironman from Hawaii, considered the unofficial World Championship of the modality, whose thirty-fourth edition is taking place this Saturday in Kailua-Kona, in the north of the island, where both hope to improve their marks from last year.
Virginia Berasategui from Bilbao and Eneko Llanos from Vitoria are the Spanish assets in the great triathlon event of the year, the Hawaii Ironman, considered the unofficial World Championship of the modality, whose thirty-fourth edition will be held this Saturday in Kailua-Kona, to the north of the island, where both aspire to improve their marks from last year.
La más dura y exitosa prueba del triatlón pondrá a los triatletas ante un exigente recorrido que consta de 3,8 kilómetros de natación, 180 kilómetros sobre la bike y los 42 kilómetros de un maratón, lo que exige a los participantes una extraordinaria preparación y resistencia.
Last year, Virginia Berasategui obtained fourth position, spending 9 hours and 16 minutes on the course, while Eneko Llanos finished seventh, with a time of 8 hours and 22 minutes.
Berasategui arrives in Hawaii – where he already climbed the medal table by achieving bronze in 2009 – after achieving tenth place in the Ironman European Championship, held in Frankfurt (Germany) in July, and fifth in the Wildflower Triathlon in San Antonio, California. (USA).
Furthermore, this year he was able to add victory in the first edition of the Bilbao Triathlon to his resume. Berasategui (Bilbao, 1975) is the Basque triathlete with the best record, with a 17-year career in international competition since her first successes in the junior category, which has earned her the Bronze Medal for Sports Merit this year.
However, the Bilbao native is not at her best due to the physical problems she has had throughout the season, so breaking into the top ten would be a huge success for her.
For his part, Eneko Llanos has just achieved victory at the ICAN in Mallorca for the second consecutive year, a victory to which this season he adds those achieved in the Ironman Texas and the first edition of the ICAN Marbella, as well as second place in the Triathlon from Zarauz.
The Vitorian, who was second in the 2008 Hawaii Ironman, arrives at a great time, since he has prepared this season thinking only about the Kona event, reducing the number of events in which he has participated this year.
The two Spanish triathletes will be part of the 84 professional athletes – 51 men and 33 women – who will fight for victory in the big long-distance event of the year.
ALEXANDER AND WELLINGTON, BIG FAVORITES.
Among the great rivals that Eneko and Virginia will have to face, the names of recent years are repeated, highlighting the absence of last year's winner, the Australian Chris McCormack, who has given up the Kona event to prepare for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Also Australian Craig Alexander, winner of the 2009 and 2010 editions; and the British Chrissie Wellington, winner in 2007, 2008 and 2009 – in 2010 she did not compete – head the list of favorites. But the list of contenders for the Kona podium is longer every year.
Thus, in the men's category, Andreas Raelert and Marino Vanhoenacker stand out, second and third in 2010, respectively. Raynard Tissink, Timothy O'Donnel, Faris Al-Sultan, Chris Lieto, Rasmus Henning, Andy Potts and Matty Reed are also aiming to be among the best.
In the women's category, in the front line of favorites are the current champion Mirina Carfrae, without forgetting Caroline Steffen – second in 2010 – Catriona Morrison and Samantha Warriner. In addition, other triathletes such as Julie Dibens, Leanda Cave, Karin Thuerig, Sofie Goos and Rachel Joyce will have to be taken into account.
Source: telecinco.es
