| 10/11/2001 | Tim DeBoom overcame a three-minute penalty at the end of the bicycle ride Saturday to become the first American in five years to win the Ironman Triathlon World Championship.
DeBoom, 30, of Lyons, Colo., holding a small American flag, crossed the finish line in an unofficial time of eight hours, 31 minutes and 17 seconds.
After serving his penalty for drafting, DeBoom caught Steve Larsen 11 1/2 miles in. Larsen faded and finished in ninth place in 8:56:28.
"The crowds were great -- it was U.S.A. all the way,'' said DeBoom, who finished second last year and won the Ironman California race in May.
New Zealand's Cameron Brown was second in 8:46:10, followed by 1997 winner Thomas Hellriegel of Germany in 8:47:40.
Switzerland's Natascha Badmann repeated as the women's winner with a time of 9:28:37. Lori Bowden of Canada was second in 9:32:59, followed by Nina Kraft of Braunschweig, Germany, in 9:40:59, and eight-time winner Paula Newby-Fraser, of Encinitas, Calif., in 9:41:34.
Larsen, 31, of Davis, Calif., who wasn't in the top 10 at the turnaround, moved out front at about the 95-mile mark and had a five-minute lead at the transition.
Gusty headwinds up to 50 mph slowed riders behind the leaders and blew some off their bikes, race officials said.
A total of 1,468 athletes from 49 states and 46 countries began the race, and officials reported less than a dozen dropouts, which included New York City firefighters and several military personnel who were deployed, as a direct result of the terrorism.
"I had no hesitation coming,'' said triathlete Mike Cevette of Scottsdale, Ariz. "That's what the Ironman is about -- being positive and taking on a challenge, and we won't be intimidated by terrorists.''
Following the swim from the pier in this picturesque town on Hawaii Island's Kona Coast, the approximately 1,500 competitors began the 112-mile bicycle ride through barren lava fields and rolling ranchlands.
The bicycle phase ended, and the 26.2-mile run began at the old Kona Airport just north of Kailua-Kona.
Most of the sport's top professionals were vying for $325,000 in prize money and performance bonuses. The first man and woman finishers each got $70,000. |
|
|
