Posted: August 23, 2004

Triathlon: Iron-Men of Sherborne Thrill Crowds Again

Amazing Jane Tomlinson Shines in World Class Event

The picturesque and historic town of Sherborne, Dorset was once again the scene of much joy, pain, and exhilaration today as it hosted the 2004 GATORADE Half IRONMAN UK Triathlon.

The thousands of spectators were enthralled as a world-class field of international athletes was joined by a mix of national and local entrants, as well as the inspirational Jane Tomlinson MBE - who completed the triathlon course despite suffering from terminal cancer.

The event, staged at Sherborne Castle for the second consecutive year, is one of the UK's most demanding sporting events, with over 1700 top age-group male and female athletes battling the gruelling 1.2 mile open water swim, 56 mile bike ride and 13.1 mile run.

The mens Pro race was won by top French competitor Xavier Le Floch, whose breathtaking run performance saw him break the four-hour barrier to finish with a time of 3:57:56 seconds. Craig Walton, the Australian triathlon star, lead from the front coming out of the water in under 24 mins. He then lead the bike before relinquishing the lead on the run - finishing just two minutes behind the 2004 Gatorade Half Ironman UK Triathlon winner Xavier Le Floch.

The female Pro race was an even closer call, with Swiss athlete Sibylle Matter beating Merja Kiviranta of Finland by a mere fourteen seconds, with a time of 4:25:16. Sibylle recorded some top results - swimming the 3rd fastest swim, 4th fastest bike and 4th fastest run from the women's field being fiercely chased down in the closing metres of the event by the Fin.

The quality and the size of the international field was once again testament to what is now recognised one of the UK's premier triathlon events and the only Hawaii IRONMAN world championship qualifier in the UK.

But for many the undoubted highlight of the day was the sight of Jane Tomlinson crossing the finish line cheered on by her husband Mike and young son Steven.

Jane, 40, has been living with cancer since her terminal diagnosis in 2000, when her breast cancer returned after a 10-year rest spite. Jane completed the course in 7:34:40, only six weeks after completing a debilitating course of radiotherapy treatment.

Ron Thorne, Gatorade Half Ironman UK Race Director comments, "The 2004 GATORADE Half IRONMAN UK Triathlon promised to be a real nail biter, and with so many world class athletes in the field, picking a winner was always going to prove challenging.

Ron continues: "My congratulations to Xavier and Sibylle. Their performances were truly outstanding in the face of such high standard of competition. Ron concludes, "But even seasoned elite competitors could not fail to be inspired by Jane Tomlinson's awesome performance. She is proof that this incredible sport is not just about winners and losers - but spirit and determination."

The 2004 GATORADE Half IRONMAN UK Triathlon takes its place as one of a series of prestigious Ironman events around the world, all of which select athletes to compete for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.

For full race results and information on next years UK based Ironman event keep a close eye on the official event race web site www.ironmanuk.com.