Former IRONMAN 70.3 World Champions, Terenzo Bozzone and Melissa Hauschildt redeemed themselves to break records en route to winning the IRONMAN Western Australia at Busselton.
31-year-old Kiwi Bozzone smashed the course record in 7:51:25, taking five minutes off Luke McKenzie’s record set last year, while Hauschildt proved ‘no pain no gain’ to win also in a new course record.
Bozzone Dominates Men’s Race
Terenzo Bozzone was determined to end his year on a high note and raised the bar so high that, second placed Andy Potts (USA) too got under the old record while Australian Nick Kastelein celebrated his first IRONMAN by completing the podium in third.
“Some of my workouts leading in had been outstanding by my own standards. My legs felt good. I’ve had my physio with me and he’s been able to flush out all the lactate acid after every work out and that has been a big help,” says Bozzone.
Bozzone faced a tight competition in the swim, with a tight bunch exiting within seconds of each other. He then moved clear on the bike with Kastelein, and extended the lead to over nine minutes into transition after the 180 km journey.
‘No Pain No Gain’ for Melissa Hauschildt
It wasn’t an easy win for current European IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 champion, Melissa Hauschildt who exited the 3.8 km swim in fourth place, with a six minute deficit over rivals defending champion Sarah Piampiano (USA), three-time runner-up Mareen Hufe (DEU) and Sweden’s Asa Lundstrom.
Hauschildt stayed patient and worked hard on the bike to claw her way back, but Hufe made her move, and grabbed the lead with three minutes going into the 42.2 km marathon run.
Most races are won in the run, and Hauschildt proved that yet again, regaining the lead before the 10 km mark. However, she suffered serious leg cramps over the final 15 kms, cramping up as she ventured down the finish chute but still managed to win in 8:54:38 to better Britta Martin’s 2014 course record by two minutes.
“I was so nervous out there from around 25 kms when I got the first cramp and I’ve never had cramps like that. It was so debilitating I didn’t think I could get through it. I felt really good on the bike. I had a leg issue in Kona, but I got through that and I was really happy to win. And I was pretty happy to get the record as well, it was a really tough last half of the marathon,” says Hauschildt.
Hufe and Piampiona completed the podium, with all three going under the magical nine hour barrier.
| PRO MALE | ||||||
| Bib | Name | Ctry | Swim | Bike | Run | Total |
| 1 | BOZZONE, Terenzo | NZL | 0:46:23 | 4:10:49 | 2:50:38 | 7:51:26 |
| 2 | POTTS, Andy | USA | 0:46:21 | 4:20:05 | 2:44:41 | 7:55:12 |
| 3 | KASTELEIN, Nick | AUS | 0:46:10 | 4:22:12 | 2:53:01 | 8:05:24 |
| 4 | PETERSEN-BACH, jens | DNK | 0:49:54 | 4:28:34 | 2:48:45 | 8:11:20 |
| 5 | CHEVROT, Denis | FRA | 0:46:22 | 4:28:39 | 2:56:03 | 8:15:23 |
| 6 | HOVGARD, Esben | DNK | 0:50:02 | 4:25:31 | 2:58:21 | 8:18:00 |
| 7 | FOX, Michael | AUS | 0:46:17 | 4:29:58 | 2:57:55 | 8:18:07 |
| 8 | BACHOR, Konstantin | DEU | 0:49:59 | 4:18:17 | 3:07:02 | 8:19:51 |
| 9 | OGDEN, Courtney | AUS | 0:50:03 | 4:31:00 | 3:01:45 | 8:27:46 |
| 10 | MAXWELL, Levi | AUS | 0:53:08 | 4:38:11 | 2:52:59 | 8:28:28 |
| PRO FEMALE | ||||||
| 1 | HAUSCHILDT, Melissa | AUS | 0:54:29 | 4:48:46 | 3:06:39 | 8:54:39 |
| 2 | HUFE, Mareen | DEU | 0:59:12 | 4:41:32 | 3:12:25 | 8:57:36 |
| 3 | PIAMPIANO, Sarah | USA | 0:59:11 | 4:49:29 | 3:05:13 | 8:58:51 |
| 4 | LUNDSTROM, Asa | SWE | 1:00:55 | 4:47:23 | 3:13:20 | 9:06:08 |
| 5 | GRUBER, Alexabeth | AUT | 1:00:50 | 5:04:40 | 3:05:17 | 9:15:59 |
| 6 | COOGAN, Kym | AUS | 0:57:53 | 5:09:21 | 3:23:50 | 9:36:36 |
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