TRIATHLON

Defending Champions Top Seeds for Kellogg's IRONMAN New Zealand

By Sports Media NZ

Cameron Brown, honoured in the New Year’s Honours List, will look to further his world records after being awarded number one seeding for the 33^rd Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IRONMAN New Zealand in Taupō next month.

Brown, 44, is chasing his 13^th victory in Taupō and a win will extend his global record for the most wins of the same IRONMAN event and the oldest male to win an IRONMAN.

He will take on a power-packed line-up on Saturday 4 March, with the professional men’s field announced today.

Meanwhile top seed in the women’s race is American Meredith Kessler, who will chase a sixth straight victory in Taupō to equal the six wins in a row by New Zealander Joanna Lawn.

The 2014 IRONMAN New Zealand champion, Marko Albert from Estonia, returns as the second seed ahead of Kiwi star Terenzo Bozzone, the 2008 IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion, who achieved his IRONMAN breakthrough with a course record win in Western Australia in December.

Fourth seed is Belgium’s Marino Vanhoenaker, the 2012 Taupō winner in the weather-shortened race, who has 14 IRONMAN victories to his credit including a then world’s best time of 7hr45min in Austria, a race he has won eight times.

Fifth seed is Frenchman Cyril Viennot, eighth in Taupo last year, but with a win in IRONMAN UK to his credit.

There are a number of talented Kiwis in the field including double IRONMAN 70.3 Taupo winner Braden Currie, who will make his IRONMAN debut just a few weeks after finishing runner-up in the Coast to Coast multisport event, which he has won three times.

Ironically he will come up against the Coast to Coast winner Sam Clark who returns to join 25 male professionals confirmed for the race.

Kessler has 11 IRONMAN wins to her credit after another outstanding year in 2012, as she returns to her regular starting race in Taupo, which has become second home for her and her husband.

Second seed is Australian Carrie Lester, who enjoyed a top-10 finish at the IRONMAN World Championship, after wins at Chattanooga and Cairns.
 

Colourful Netherlands triathlete Yvonne van Vlerken is seeded third on the back of seven IRONMAN victories and nine podiums including runner-up in Hawaii in 2008.

There will be plenty of support for outstanding Australian Annabel Luxford, the fourth seed, who has been almost unbeatable over the IRONMAN 70.3 distance but still chasing a breakthrough victory over the full distance.

There are a number of leading chances in an impressive women’s field including IRONMAN Louiseville winner Kate Bevilaqua (AUS), Great Britain’s Laura Siddall, fourth last year, and IRONMAN winners Yvette Grice (GBR) and Jocelyn McCauley (USA).

There are 1200 entries from 49 countries entered, with the professionals chasing a prize purse of approximately $NZ115,000, while the age group competitors vie for 40 qualifying spots for the 2017 IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii.

The professional fields are:

MEN'S PROFESSIONAL FIELD

1	Brown, Cameron	NZL
2	Albert, Marko	EST
3	Bozzone, Terenzo	NZL
4	Vanhoenacker, Marino	BEL
5	Viennot, Cyril	FRA
6	Currie, Braden	NZL
7	Fettell, Clayton	AUS
8	Rhodes, Bryan	NZL
9	Bittner, Per	DEU
10	Bowstead, Mark	NZL
11	Crawford, Guy	NZL
12	O'Grady, Graham	NZL
13	Skipworth, Todd	AUS
14	Caird, Allister	AUS
15	Clark, Samuel	NZL
16	Cochrane, Simon	NZL
17	Defilippis, Scott	USA
18	Jeannin, Guillaume	FRA
19	Koutny, Philipp	SUI
21	Lassonde, Cedric	FRA
21	Murphy, Samuel	AUS
22	Oh, Younghwan	KOR
23	Paul, Cameron	NZL
24	Read, Carl	NZL
25	Van Looy, Diego	BEL

WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL FIELD

31	Kessler, Meredith	USA
32	Lester, Carrie	AUS
33	Van Vlerken, Yvonne	NED
34	Luxford, Annabel	AUS
35	Bevilaqua, Kate	AUS
36	Siddall, Laura	GBR
37	Bilham, Emma	SUI
38	Furness, Erin	NZL
39	Gailey, Michelle	AUS
40	Godesky, Alyssa	USA
41	Grice, Yvette	GBR
42	Hayes, Tamsyn	NZL
43	Madison, Mackenzie	USA
44	McAlpine, Wendy	AUS
45	McCauley, Jocelyn	USA
46	Mitchell, Jessica	AUS
47	Morrison, Tracy	AUS
48	Murray, Vanessa	NZL
49	Whiting, Fawn	CAN