Kona Trend: Men’s Winner Top Four The Previous Year
In 15 out of the last 16 years, the men’s winner at the Ironman World Championship finished in the top four the previous year.
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In 15 out of the last 16 years, the men’s winner at the Ironman World Championship finished in the top four the previous year. The only exception to that rule was when Germany’s Normann Stadler won in 2006 after a DNF in 2005 (the famous “too much glue” incident), but he had won the race in 2004. Seventeen years ago, in 1996, Belgian Luc Van Lierde came out of nowhere to win the race, setting the course record (which was later broken by Craig Alexander) in his Kona debut.
If history is any indication, the 2013 Ironman Hawaii men’s champion will likely come from the top four men in 2012: winner Pete Jacobs (AUS), who’s had an unimpressive racing season so far; four-time Kona podium finisher but never a world champion Andreas Raelert (GER); speedy cyclist and two-time Abu Dhabi International Triathlon champ Frederik Van Lierde (BEL)—no relation to Luc, or two-time Ironman 70.3 world champion Sebastian Kienle (GER). Or perhaps we’ll see a previous champion, like Craig Alexander (AUS), break the mold and take his fourth Kona crown.
PHOTOS: 2012 Ironman World Championship Pro Race
2012 winner: Pete Jacobs (AUS)
→ 2011 result: 2nd
2011 winner: Craig Alexander (AUS)
→ 2010 result: 4th
2010 winner: Chris McCormack (AUS)
→ 2009 result: 4th
2009 winner: Craig Alexander (AUS)
→ 2008 result: 2nd
2008 winner: Craig Alexander (AUS)
→ 2007 result: 2nd
2007 winner: Chris McCormack (AUS)
→ 2006 result: 2nd
2006 winner: Normann Stadler (GER)
→ 2005 result: DNF (2004 result: 1st)
2005 winner: Faris Al-Sultan (GER)
→ 2004 result: 3rd
2004 winner: Normann Stadler (GER)
→ 2003 result: 4th
2003 winner: Peter Reid (CAN)
→ 2002 result: 2nd
2002 winner: Tim DeBoom (USA)
→ 2001 result: 1st
2001 winner: Tim DeBoom (USA)
→ 2000 result: 2nd
2000 winner: Peter Reid (CAN)
→ 1999 result: 2nd
1999 winner: Luc Van Lierde (BEL)
→ 1998 result: 2nd
1998 winner: Peter Reid (CAN)
→ 1997 result: 4th
1997 winner: Thomas Hellriegel (GER)
→ 1996 result: 2nd
1996 winner: Luc Van Lierde (BEL)
→ 1995 result: Did not race (1996 was his debut in Kona)