First Pro Kona Slots To Be Handed Out This Week

With the 2013 Ironman World Championship 74 days away, the first professional spots for the men and women will be handed out this week. The somewhat controversial Kona Pro Rankings system was put into place in the fall of 2010 and requires professionals to be ranked against each other based on their finishes at 70.3 and Ironman events around the world. The top ranked 50 men and 35 women in the standings earn starts at the iconic race. A handful of athletes are considered automatic qualifiers and don’t count in the overall rankings. Athletes who have won the Ironman World Championship in the last five years, or who have won the Ironman 70.3 World Championship and Hy-Vee 5150 U.S. Championship in 2012 automatically earn spots in Kona. All athletes, including automatic qualifiers, must validate their start in Kona with a finish at a full Ironman event.

This week marks the end of the first qualifying period, and 40 men and 28 women, plus the automatic qualifiers, will be offered the opportunity to register given that they have validated. If a person has not validated or chooses not to accept his/her slot, it will roll down to the next eligible athlete. The remaining 17 spots (10 men and seven women) will be handed out at the end of August.

Automatic Qualifiers

Craig Alexander (AUS), Pete Jacobs (AUS), Chris McCormack (AUS), Sebastian Kienle (GER), Mirinda Carfrae (AUS), and Leanda Cave (GBR) are all automatic qualifiers and have validated at an Ironman event. Last year’s Hy-Vee winners Javier Gomez (ESP) and Lisa Norden (SWE) have not validated and have not expressed interest in racing in Kona this year.

RELATED – Race Gallery: 2012 Ironman World Championship

The Men

All of the top-40 men have validated with an Ironman finish. There are a couple of legitimate podium contenders who will not be offered spots in this round of qualifying. The biggest names are Michael Raelert (GER) and Marino Vanhoenacker (BEL). Others top athletes left off of the list at this point include Daniel Fontana (ITA), Maik Twelsiek (GER), Tim Van Berkel (AUS), Paul Matthews (AUS), Viktor Zyemtsev (UKR) and Tom Lowe (GBR).

1. Sebastian Kienle (GER) 9260*
2. Eneko Llanos (ESP) 9085
3. Andreas Raelert (GER) 8290
4. Craig Alexander (AUS) 8220*
5. Frederik Van Lierde (BEL) 7260
6. Timothy O’Donnell (USA) 6985
7. Andy Potts (USA) 6850
8. Pete Jacobs (AUS) 6690*
9. Bart Aernouts (BEL) 6460
10. Bas Diederen (NLD) 6440
11. Jimmy Johnsen (DNK) 5910
12. Bevan Docherty (NZL) 5900
13. Petr Vabrousek (CZE) 5840
14. Ronnie Schildknecht (SUI) 5785
15. Faris Al-sultan (GER) 5688
16. Jan Raphael (GER) 5520
17. Axel Zeebroek (BEL) 5330
18. Timo Bracht (GER) 5300
19. Per Bittner (GER) 5290
20. Jordan Rapp (USA) 5085
21. Ivan Raña (ESP) 4900
22. Horst Reichel (GER) 4845
23. Andi Boecherer (GER) 4795
24. David Dellow (AUS) 4600
25. Christian Ritter (GER) 4570
26. Maxim Kriat (RUS) 4530
27. Cyril Viennot (FRA) 4500
28. TJ Tollakson (USA) 4320
29. Ben Hoffman (USA) 4285
30. Tyler Butterfield (BER) 4220
31. Matthew Russell (USA) 4180
32. Marko Albert (EST) 4175
33. Dirk Bockel (LUX) 4090
34. Balazs Csoke (HUN) 4060
35. Luke McKenzie (AUS) 4045
36. Ian Mikelson (USA) 4000
37. Igor Amorelli (BRA) 3970
38. Christopher Legh (AUS) 3960
39. Clayton Fettell (AUS) 3950
40. Andrew Starykowicz (USA) 3950
41. James Cunnama (RSA) 3905
42. Thomas Gerlach (USA) 3800
43. Ben Cotter (CAN) 3790

73. Chris McCormack (AUS) 1560*

*Automatic qualifier, does not count toward the spots handed out.

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The Women

The qualifying on the women’s side is more straightforward, and all of the favorites at this point will be offered spots this week. Kathleen Calkins (USA), Rebekah Keat (AUS), Stephanie Jones (USA), Jennie Hansen (USA), Liz Blatchford (GBR), Eimear Mullan (IRL), Beth Walsh (USA) and Carrie Lester (AUS) are the first names left off of this qualifying round and will likely be battling against others for those final seven spots next month.

Kelly Williamson is in a good enough ranking spot (No. 27), but has not validated, and stated earlier this season that she does not plan to race in Kona this year.

1. Leanda Cave (GBR) 11290*
2. Caroline Steffen (SUI) 9720
3. Gina Crawford (NZL) 9020
4. Mary Beth Ellis (USA) 9000
5. Meredith Kessler (USA) 7540
6. Jodie Swallow (GBR) 7170
7. Heather Wurtele (CAN) 7100
8. Sonja Tajsich (GER) 7065
9. Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) 6980*
10. Natascha Badmann (SUI) 6460
11. Linsey Corbin (USA) 6375
12. Erika Csomor (HUN) 6310
13. Camilla Pedersen (DEN) 6205
14. Yvonne Van Vlerken (NED) 6165
15. Corinne Abraham (GBR) 6010
16. Michelle Vesterby (DEN) 6000
17. Sofie Goos (BEL) 5940
18. Mirjam Weerd (NED) 5840
19. Amanda Stevens (USA) 5745
20. Kristin Moeller (GER) 5505
21. Jessie Donavan (USA) 5450
22. Elizabeth Lyles (USA) 5300
23. Mareen Hufe (GER) 5280
24. Caitlin Snow (USA) 5240
25. Anna Ross (NZL) 5230
26. Rachel Joyce (GBR) 5190
28. Amy Marsh (USA) 5095
29. Ashley Clifford (USA) 4985
30. Sara Gross (CAN) 4910
31. Rebecca Hoschke (AUS) 4740

*Automatic qualifier, does not count toward the spots handed out.

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