Released: 4 May 2023
FEMALE PROFESSIONAL TRIATHLETES READY FOR IRONMAN AUSTRALIA
Event media accreditation can be accessed here
A multiple IRONMAN champion and Olympic Games representative highlight the women’s professional field at Sunday’s IRONMAN Australia.
Sunday’s event will see seven professional female athletes go head-to-head across the 3.8km swim, 180km ride and 42.2km run, before the champion is crowned on Port Macquarie’s Town Green.
Brisbane’s Kylie Simpson will contest her first ever IRONMAN Australia this weekend, having previously stood on the top step of the podium at the Cairns Airport IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship Cairns and GWM IRONMAN Western Australia in 2021.
“I’m feeling fit and healthy leading into IRONMAN Australia, and excited to kick my season off in Port Macquarie off the back of a consistent six months of training and no racing,” said Simpson. “I’ve never raced IRONMAN Australia and have long heard of other athletes love for this event. I went to Port Macquarie five weeks ago for a training camp, and to familiarise myself with the course, in particular the new bike course, and thoroughly enjoyed the time spent there. I’m looking forward to seeing the town and triathlon community come alive on race day.”
Simpson heads to IRONMAN Australia refreshed following a packed end to 2022 which saw her make her VinFast IRONMAN World Championship debut, finish second and third at IRONMAN 70.3 Los Cabos and IRONMAN Cozumel respectively, before rounding out the year with a fourth at IRONMAN Western Australia.
“The end of the 2022 season was busy racing Sunshine Coast, Kona, Los Cabo, Cozumel and Busselton, we finished stronger than when we started that block, and it allowed us to begin our 2023 preparation already at a higher level than we have been before,” said Simpson. “I had the fastest bike/run split across the last three races of that block against some classy athletes and that has given me confidence that if the fastest swimmers are not on their game, I can really threaten them for the podium.”
Czech Republic-born, Wagga Wagga-based athlete Radka Kahlefeldt will also be making her IRONMAN Australia debut, having not raced in Port Macquarie since taking on the IRONMAN 70.3 in 2014 and 2015.
The 2012 London Olympic Games representative heads to IRONMAN Australia with her sights firmly set on securing a slot at October’s VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Hawai’i after having to withdraw from last year's event at the last minute due to illness.
“I’m excited and a little bit nervous as it is a big day and you have to hope that everything will go well on that one day,” said Kahlefeldt. “I’ve been training really well in the past months and so I’m hoping for a top two result as I really want to book my qualifying spot for the IRONMAN World Championship this year.
“I raced the IRONMAN 70.3 in Port Macquarie a few times and I always had a great time,” she said. “I love Port Macquarie, it’s a great place for a race and a little getaway.”
Kahlefeldt has had a strong start to 2023 with back-to-back second place finishes at the Husky Ultimate and IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong.
“I love racing and every race is a great training and also a great motivation towards new goals,” she said. “Both Husky and Geelong have a great atmosphere and are great events to do. It’s also always good to race early in the year to see where you are training wise.”
While plenty of eyes will be on Simpson and Kahlefeldt, the remainder of the field will be working hard to make sure the top two don’t have it all their own way on Sunday.
Meredith Hill heads to IRONMAN Australia having finished sixth at both February’s IRONMAN 70.3 Tasmania and last December’s IRONMAN Western Australia. Cairns-based, British athlete Sarah Thomas and Ireland’s Fiona Moriarty are also two to watch, with both out to impress this weekend.
More on IRONMAN Australia can be found at www.ironman.com/im-australia
Event media accreditation can be accessed here: https://forms.office.com/r/Tm1CVnyaLi
IRONMAN Australia – Women’s Professional Field
21 – Kylie Simpson
22 – Radka Kahlefeldt
24 – Meredith Hill
25 – Sarah Thomas
26 – Fiona Moriarty
27 – Shannon Sutton
29 – Chino Iwabuchi
For more information contact:
Craig Heydon
Public Relations & Media Director, The IRONMAN Group Oceania
Mob: 0402 318 918
Ruth Bowerman
Media Executive, The IRONMAN Group Oceania
M: (+64) 21 209 6978
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