Speedy Pro List Set For Ironman Florida

This Saturday, some of the top pros in Ironman triathlon, including the reigning women’s Ironman world champion, will be racing in Panama City Beach, Fla., for their share of a $25,000 prize purse. They’ll also be earning valuable early points toward the Kona Pro Rankings and validating their 2014 Kona slots early. The race also offers 50 age group-qualifying slots for the 2014 Ironman Hawaii to the approximately 3,000 age-group athletes racing.

The course features a two-loop, 2.4-mile swim in the Gulf of Mexico followed by a one-loop 112-mile flat and fast bike course. The two-loop 26.2-mile run course is also known for being flat and fast and follows the shoreline through local neighborhoods to the turnaround in St. Andrews State Park. It was on this course that American Andrew Starykowicz set the Ironman bike course record last year in a time of 4:04:49.

As the defending champion, Starykowicz will be the man to beat. He’s coming off a disappointing 19th-place finish in Kona after leading the men’s field off the bike, and will be looking for some late-season redemption. His biggest competition will come from American Tim O’Donnell (“T.O.”), who just finished fifth in Hawaii and had his first Ironman victory early in 2013 in Brazil. While Starykowicz is known for his bike strength, T.O. is known more for his run speed; however, both may just be looking for an Ironman finish more than a speedy win less than a month after their Kona efforts, so the podium could remain wide open, as there are more than 70 male professionals at this race. Other contenders include teamTBB’s Scott DeFilippis (USA), who finished third on this course last year; David Plese (SLO), who was fourth here last year; Igor Amorelli (BRA), fresh off a 13th-place Kona finish; Axel Zeebroek (BEL); Daniel Fontana (ITA) and Jozsef Major (HUN).

RELATED PHOTOS: Tim O’Donnell’s Custom-Painted Trek Speed Concept

The women’s race is highlighted by Aussie Mirinda Carfrae, who just took her second Ironman World Championship title a few weeks ago. She only needs to validate her spot in the 2014 Kona race with an Ironman finish, so her main goal will be to complete the race. Her toughest competition will come from teammate Yvonne Van Vlerken of The Netherlands (Carfrae and Van Vlerken are both coached by Siri Lindley). Van Vlerken just raced to a fourth-place finish on the Big Island and won this race decisively last year in a time of 8:51:35 (Carfrae finished second in 9:05:03). Other top competitors are two-time Ironman Florida champion (2010 and 2011) Jessica Jacobs of the U.S., who will be looking to regain the crown, and American Jackie Arendt, who won Ironman Wisconsin earlier this year. Also look for Dede Greisbauer (USA); Erika Csomor (HUN); Challenge Penticton champ and teamTBB athlete Carrie Lester (AUS); Haley Chura (USA); or Ashley Clifford, last year’s third-place finisher, to vie for a spot on the podium.

RELATED PHOTOS: Kona 2013’s Fastest Couple

Pro Men:
Andrew Starykowicz (USA)
Tim O’Donnell (USA)
Kirill Kotsegarov (EST)
Michael Goehner (GER)
Justin Daerr (USA)
Pedro Gomes (POR)
Jozsef Major (HUN)
Patrick Evoe (USA)
Markus Ressler (AUS)
Christophe Bastie (FRA)
Karl-Johan Danielsson (SWE)
Anton Blokhin (UKR)
Martin Kleinl (AUT)
Sean Sullivan (USA)
Dantley Young (USA)
Frank Silvestrin (AUS)
Andreas Fuchs (AUT)
David Nasvik (SWE)
Victor Del Corral (ESP)
Philip Mosley (GBR)
David Bardi (FRA)
Christian Carletto (ARG)
Matthew Sheeks (USA)
Benoit Bourguet (BEL)
Vincent Riess (AUT)
Chad Holderbaum (USA)
Pontus Lindberg (SWE)
Nate Buttrick (USA)
Daniel Mueller (GER)
Thiago Vinhal (BRA)
Per Bittner (GER)
Scott DeFilippis (USA)
Trevor Delsaut (MEX)
Aubrey Aldy (USA)
Kevin Taddonio (USA)
Peter Kotland (USA)
Nicolas Hemet (FRA)
James LaMastra (USA)
Ed Donner (USA)
Adam Bohach (USA)
Gerald Ratschke (AUT)
Nicholas Ward Munoz (GBR)
Derek Garcia (USA)
Rinalds Sluckis (LAT)
Vinny Johnson (USA)
Jim Lubinski (USA)
Evgeniy Nikitin (RUS)
Josef Krivanek (CZE)
Chris Boudreaux (USA)
Dorian Wagner (GER)
Josef Svoboda (CZE)
Darrel Williams (USA)
Manuel Wyss (SUI)
Joe Skipper (GBR)
Andrey Lyatskiy (RUS)
Lennart Moberg (SWE)
Anders Wagner (DEN)
Jonathan Shearon (USA)
Blake Becker (USA)
Tomas Svoboda (CZE)
Filip Ospaly (CZE)
Christian Kemp (USA)
Jordan Bryden (CAN)
Kyle Pawlaczyk (USA)
Herve Banti (MCO)
Robbie Wade (IRL)
Damon Barnett (USA)
Daniel Fontana (ITA)
Igor Amorelli (BRA)
Gustavo Rodriguez (ESP)
David Plese (SLO)
Axel Zeebroek (BEL)

Pro Women:
Yvonne Van Vlerken (NED)
Mirinda Carfrae (AUS)
Jessica Jacobs (USA)
Jackie Arendt (USA)
Dede Griesbauer (USA)
Erika Csomor (HUN)
Carrie Lester (AUS)
Haley Chura (USA)
Olesya Prystayko (CZE)
Diana Riesler (GER)
Simone Braendli (GER)
Simona Vykoukalova (CZE)
Emma Graaf (SWE)
Christine Anderson USA)
Amy Forshaw (GBR)
Whitney Garcia (USA)
Molly Roohi (USA)
Amber Ferreira (USA)
Svetlana Blazevic (SER)
Rachel Jastrebsky (USA)
Robin Sandos (USA)
Suzy Serpico (USA)
Maria Lemeseva (RUS)
Beate Goertz (GER)
Cindy Lewis (CAN)
Ana Lidia Borba (BRA)
Fabiola Corona (MEX)
Natasha Van der Merwe (USA)
April Gellatly (USA)
Jordan Mcammond (USA)
Lindsay Ludlow (USA)
Anne Basso (FRA)
Lisa Huetthaler (AUT)
Mareen Hufe (GER)
Ashley Clifford (USA)