Posted: July 18, 2005

Triathlon: Smyers, Fisher join women's field at 2005 Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid

LAKE PLACID, N.Y.—1995 Ford Ironman World Champion Karen Smyers (Lincoln, Mass.) and Ironman standout Andrea Fisher (Austin, Texas) will compete at the 2005 Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid that will be held on July 24 in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Smyers has placed in the top five at the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, six times in her career. Smyers won her first World Championship in 1995 with an overall time of nine hours, 16 minutes and 46 seconds. She was also the runner up in 1994 and 1996.

Fisher, an All-American swimmer during her collegiate years at the University of Texas, has posted nine top-five finishes, including a third place finish at Ford Ironman Wisconsin in 2004.

Fisher had a career-best second-place finish at Ford Ironman Florida in 2000 and also registered a top-five finish at the inaugural Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid triathlon back in 1999.

Smyers and Fisher are expected to compete with four-time Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid Champion Heather Fuhr (Canada) as well as two-time Ironman Wisconsin champion Heather Gollnick (Hartford, Wisc.) and Laura Drake (Manilou Spring, Fla.) for the women’s title.

One unique change at Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid is that it will serve as a women’s only professional race in 2005.

A $50,000 women’s pro prize purse will be awarded at the 2005 Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid triathlon. A $50,000 pro prize purse for professional men was given at the third annual Ford Ironman USA Coeur d’Alene in June of this year.

More than 2,000 triathletes from around the world are expected to compete at the 2005 Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid. Athletes will be competing for 80 qualifying spots to the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, as well as a $50,000 women’s pro prize purse.