2,000 Athletes Set To Battle Heat At Ironman Coeur d’Alene
Ninety pros have signed up for the opportunity to earn KPR points and a share of the $100,000 prize purse.
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It’s been a busy weekend of news for Ironman Coeur d’Alene with Ironman first announcing that the start time would be pushed up to 5:30 a.m. due to concerns about the heat (the current forecast calls for a high of 107 degrees F), and then revealing that beginning in 2016 the full Ironman will take place in August with a 70.3 taking over the late June date.
While nearly 2,000 age-group athletes will be vying for 50 spots to this fall’s Ironman World Championship, 90 professionals have signed up for the opportunity to earn KPR points toward a start at the same Kona race and a share of the $100,000 prize purse. Defending champion Andy Potts (USA) does not need points thanks to his fourth-place finish at last year’s Ironman World Championship, but he is still missing the Ironman finish he needs to validate his Kona start. Though Potts is the heavy favorite to repeat, he’ll face tough competition from athletes who are motivated to improve their KPR standing. Top athletes include Callum Millward (NZL), Trevor Wurtele (CAN), Paul Matthews (AUS), Matt Russell (USA), Maik Twelsiek (GER), Leon Griffin (AUS) and Matt Lieto (USA). With two-time defending champion Heather Wurtele (CAN) not on the start list, the opportunity is wide open for a handful of Americans to earn a breakthrough victory on the women’s side. Top contenders include Heather Jackson (USA), Amanda Stevens (USA), Dede Griesbauer (USA) and Kim Schwabenbauer (USA).
RELATED PHOTOS: 2014 Ironman Coeur d’Alene
See the complete professional start lists below:
Men
1 Andy Potts (USA)
2 Matt Russell (USA)
3 Maik Twelsiek (GER)
4 Trevor Wurtele (CAN)
5 Paul Matthews (AUS)
6 Leon Griffin (AUS)
7 Callum Millward (NZL)
8 Matt Lieto (USA)
9 Barrett Brandon (USA)
10 Trevor Delsaut (FRA)
11 Pedro Gomes PRT
12 Andrew Fast (USA)
13 Derek Garcia (USA)
14 Patrick Wheeler (USA)
15 Dantley Young (USA)
16 James Lubinski (USA)
17 Patrick Evoe (USA)
18 Stephen Kilshaw (CAN)
19 Doug Maclean (USA)
20 Eric Reid (USA)
21 Jonathan Shearon (USA)
22 Matt Sheeks (USA)
23 Yu Shinozaki JPN (JPN)
24 Michael Starkey (USA)
25 Dan Brown (AUS)
Women
31 Amanda Stevens (USA)
32 Dede Griesbauer (USA)
33 Heather Jackson (USA)
34 Amber Ferreira (USA)
35 Alyssa Godesky (USA)
36 Sarah Jarvis (GER)
37 Leslie DiMichele Miller (USA)
38 Kim Schwabenbauer (USA)
39 Anne Basso (FRA)
40 Katy Blakemore (USA)
41 Terry Casey (USA)
42 Haley Cooper (USA)
43 Olesya Prystayko (UKR)
44 Sarah Graves (USA)
45 Amy Javens (USA)
46 Tamara Kozulina UKR
47 Mackenzie Madison (USA)
48 Michelle Mighdoll (USA)
49 Jen Annett (CAN)
50 Laura Siddall (GBR)