Speedy Qualifiers Down Under

Gaylia Osterlund reports on the Kona Qualifiers from Ironman Western Australia

"Wow" is all I could say when I saw the results from Ironman Western Australia! Held each December on the West Coast of Australia in the quaint town of Busselton, this course is flat, fast and spectacular. The women who raced took full advantage of the ideal conditions and posted some amazing results.

Lauren Jones of Perth, Australia (10:23:16) took the lead somewhere on the bike course and never looked back. This 23-year-old Aussie gal is definitely making herself known in the age group ranks. She is strong in all three disciplines and, after only four years the sport, Jones has completed five Ironman races, two of those on the Kona course.

If triathlon had another leg, my guess is the Kona roll down would be in top contention for the spot. Just ask 25-year-old Julie Saunders – she'll fill you in on the angst of waiting to hear your name called. Crossing the line in Busso in a personal best time of 10:30:58, Jules was thrilled to know she had finished third in her division. Four years, five Ironman races and one trip to the World Championships later, Saunders never guessed a return to Kona would come so soon. After the first place woman said no, the second place gal took the slot. Sometime through the awards, Jules noticed the gal in her age group walking to the desk again and then back to her seat. It was not until the end of the evening they announced the slot would go down to third and they called Saunders’ name. I am sure she will be one of the most grateful athletes at the start line next October.

Look up new-comer in the dictionary and the answer will probably read “Tara Nolan of Donore, Co Meath, Ireland.” With less than one year in triathlon and one Ironman to her name, 31-year-old Nolan kicked across the line in 9:45:55 to be the first amateur woman to finish. Had she been racing pro, Tara would have finished tenth! Her better-than-average swim sets her up nicely to attack with her solid bike/run combination, with her ultimate weapon being her 3:18 marathon. She has talent, confidence and a beginner’s enthusiasm, making her a real threat to the women in her division.

Another newbie qualifying from this same division is 34-year-old Susan Casey of Tasmania, Australia. Casey is also beyond-solid in all three sports, but her real strength is consistently pulling out a speedy run no matter what. Knowing she improved her time in Busselton by an hour and 30 minutes from 2006 will send her to the big island with another level of confidence.

Oregonian Ann Ciaverella (W 35-39) finds being an Ironman somewhat surreal. Seven years ago she kicked her pack-a-day smoking habit and had no idea what a triathlon was. After dabbling in running and some shorter distance races, she jumped to the Ironman distance with gusto in 2005 and has nabbed a podium spot in all but one race. Ann's consistent sub 3:30 marathon will serve her well in Kona.

Donna Nice (W35-39) didn't expect to qualify for the Ford Ironman World Championships this year. After a Cinderella season in 2006 where she placed first at a couple of 70.3 events, stepped onto the podium at Nationals and finished top-10 at Worlds, Donna was in a bike accident that required surgery on her collar bone. What a way to start her season! To say she salvaged it is an understatement. Nice adjusted her schedule after her lengthy recovery and ultimately set her sights on Busselton. Her tenacity paid off and her third place finish (11:07:01) was good enough for a roll down slot.

Another Aussie who was “over the moon” about her day was Kerry Bailie of Bunbury, Western Australia. This 43-year-old single mother of three set a PR on the only Ironman course she has ever raced and took the course record for her division by 20 minutes, crossing the line in 10:11:25.

Melbourne’s Tracy Singleton (W45-49) put her stamp on this course. Not only did she shatter the course record by almost an hour, she bettered her 2006 World Championship time by 50 minutes! Looking at her splits, Singleton has an amazing swim/bike combination and works hard to hold on during the marathon. What is also interesting is she has continued to improve her run times, showing she is still gaining speed.

54-year-old Sylvia Dansie has been in our sport for 13 years but never had Kona as a goal. She signed up for Ironman Western Australia just to see if she could go the distance, unaware it was a qualifying event for the Ford Ironman World Championships. Her time of 12:35:17 put her nearly 20 minutes ahead of her competition.

In our next segment we will check in with the ladies who qualify at Ironman Malaysia and Ironman New Zealand.

You may contact Gaylia Osterlund at gaylialynn@ironman.com