Posted: October 19, 2004

Triathlon: Fisher, Buenahora to compete at 2004 Ironman Florida triathlon

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla.-Ironman standouts Andrea Fisher (Austin, Texas) and Barbara Buenahora (Argentina) will compete in the 2004 Ironman Florida triathlon set to take place on Saturday, November 6 in Panama City Beach and surrounding Bay County.

Fisher has been a staple at Ironman North America events over the past four seasons, posting six top-five finishes, including a career best second-place finish at Ironman Florida back in 2000. Her overall time of 9:38:24 at the Panama City Beach event was also the fastest Ironman in her career.

An All-American swimmer at the University of Texas, Fisher has been improving steadily, breaking the 10-hour mark for the first time in earning a fourth-place finish at Subaru Ironman Canada back in August of 2000. The 31-year-old also registered a top-five finish at the inaugural Ironman USA Lake Placid triathlon back in 1999.

This year has seen Fisher finish fourth at Ironman New Zealand and third at Ironman Wisconsin.

Buenahora won the first Ironman event of her career in May of 2003 winning Ironman Brazil with an overall time of nine hours, 33 minutes and 21 seconds. Buenahora has also excelled in a number of Ironman North America events as well finishing third at Ironman Florida (2002) and at Ironman USA Lake Placid (2000) among the nine top-five Ironman finishes of her career.

The duo joins a strong women’s field that features 2000 Olympic silver medallist Michellie Jones (Australia), 2004 Ironman USA Coeur d’Alene champion Lynley Allison (New Zealand) and long-time Ironman standout Wendy Ingraham (Alamo, Calif.)

More than 2,000 athletes from around the U.S. and the world are expected to compete in Ironman Florida, which enters its sixth year in Panama City Beach.

Athletes will be competing for 100 qualifying spots to the 2005 Ironman World Championship held in October in Kona, Hawaii, as well as a $50,000 pro prize purse.

For more information on the Ironman Florida triathlon, log onto www.ironmanflorida.com.