Posted: June 15, 2006

Triathlon: Long Distance National Championships in Victoria on Sunday

This year’s Triathlon Long Distance National Championships in Victoria will feature 5 past champions including two-time Ironman World Champion Lori Bowden. Bowden is competing in the Triathlon Long Distance National Championships for the first time since 2001 when she finished second - Bowden won the Long Distance National Championship in 1997.

Bowden is getting ready to return to racing this summer after giving birth to son Tyson eight months ago. Bowden, who has lived in Victoria since 1996, plans to race two half-Ironman events in British Columbia in June, including this weekend’s Long Distance National championships, then make her return to the full Ironman distance July 16 at Ironman Austria.

Bowden has been a world-beater at the Ironman World Championships- winning in 1997 and 2003. Bowden just recently had a phenomenal run between 1997 and 2003 when she won 2 gold medals, 4 silver medals and 1 bronze medal. Bowden last raced an Ironman at the 2004 World Championships. As Hawaii’s defending champion, she finished 11th, a disappointment for the woman who had finished first, third, second, second, first, second and second the previous seven years. In that seven year span, Bowden was on the podium every year and was recognized as the best long distance triathlete in the world.

Bowden’s 12 career Ironman victories ranks third all time behind Paula Newby-Fraser (24) and Canadian Heather Fuhr (14), - a group of elite company to be sure.

Race Director and President of Multi Sport Promotions, Normon Thibault, says this year’s field is outstanding. “I expect the race to be very competitive in both the Elite Men’s and the Elite Women’s categories. We have so many former winners - it should make for an exciting race on Sunday. The fact that Lori is back racing locally in Victoria and looking so strong since the birth of her baby is a huge boost for this event.”

Thibault went on to say he is very busy this week attending to a number of details. “Preparations have gone very well and there is still a ton to get done but overall I am very happy and I can’t wait for the race to get started.”

Two of Canada’s Triathlon Long Distance Elite National team members, and the current defending National Champions, will also be racing on Sunday. Charlene Waldner, from Victoria, who owns the Elite Women’s overall course record with a time of 4:36:14 and Scott Curry, from Calgary, who owns the Elite Men’s overall course record with a time of 4:06:00 have similar goals on Sunday. Waldner and Curry would like to break the course records they set in 2005 and both would like to win back-to-back National Championships – the last person to accomplish this feat was BC’s Mike Flegel who won in 2003 & 2004.

Flegel, from Courtenay, BC, is a four-time Long Distance National Champion, and a definite threat in Sunday’s race. Flegel won his other two titles in 1999, when he set the run course record with a time of 1:12:28, and in 2001. The other past champion in the Elite Men’s field is Tom Evans. Evans, from Victoria, won the Triathlon Long Distance National Championship in 2003. Dating back to 1999, the Elite Men’s division has 6 of the past 7 champions entered this Sunday – further prove this is one of the best fields ever. The race consists of a 2km swim, 93km bike and a 20km run.

Source: Triathlon Canada
Triathlon Canada is the National Federation for the Sport of Triathlon and Duathlon in Canada.
Race website: www.island-multi-sports.com.

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