2017 Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship Cairns

Near perfect conditions made for super-fast racing with Queensland athletes and training partners Josh Amberger and Sarah Crowley smashing both the men’s and women’s course records at the Cairns Airport Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship Cairns on Sunday.

It was also a double for Brisbane-based coach Cameron Watt, steering both Amberger and Crowley to the biggest wins of their careers and automatic starting spots at this fall’s Ironman World Championship.

In only his third start in an Ironman race, Amberger upset much more fancied rivals with a near flawless performance in front of a very supportive Cairns crowd.

“I have never won a major championship, so to put it together on a day like this is amazing,
said Amberger. “Everyone talks about how wonderful this race in Cairns is and all the guys that do it always seem to come back. I can see why, it was just unbelievable. One of the best, if not the best course I have raced on.”

A new course record is Sarah Crowley’s reward for revitalizing her racing career and seven years of loyalty to the Cairns event.

“I have been performing really well over the past six months in the 70.3 races and I went away with my coach Cam Watt to extend my running to long course and the work we have done on the swim has unlocked my whole race.”

Read the complete recap at Ironman.com.

2017 Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship
Cairns, Queensland, Australia – June 11, 2017
2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run

Men
1. Josh Amberger (AUS) 8:02:16
2. Joe Gambles (AUS) 8:04:02
3. Braden Currie (NZL) 8:07:45
4. Tim Van Berkel (AUS) 8:09:22
5. David Dellow (AUS) 8:11:33

Women
1. Sarah Crowley (AUS) 8:58:13
2. Sarah Piampiano (USA) 9:08:19
3. Kristin Moeller (GER) 9:14:07
4. Dimity-Lee Duke (AUS) 9:20:04
5. Katharina Grohmann (GER) 9:21:16