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The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona
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To start off, this is not an athlete-bashing thread. There is no greater story in all of athletes than the undertalented underdog who has One Great Day, and shocks the world. This is about celebrating that triathlete who gave the middle finger to all the pre-Kona polls and celebrity stars, and won the damn race anyway.

For men I got the speedoed Faris Al-Sulton. For women the stealth win of Heather Fuhr, sneaking in between the PNF and Badmann eras.
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [trail] [ In reply to ]
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Jacobs, fvl, leanda cave.... I said before but these are the folk who got it done but since their win have been nowhere near it
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [coates_hbk] [ In reply to ]
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Jacobs is a tricky one, I think he had all tje signs of being a top athlete throughout his development. Where he went off the rails is through illness, one hit wonder for sure though as I'm certain he's cooked at the top level.
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [coates_hbk] [ In reply to ]
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I'm defending him on the greatest to never win Kona but he had a pretty amazing career in the lead up to his win including a 17th at his first Kona, two top ten, a second and then the win. We all know he has had fatigue issues post win but his progression to get there I hardly find him an unlikely winner purely based on how well he raced Kona.


Be sure to open the tab to see his results


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Jacobs_(triathlete)#Notable_results
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [trail] [ In reply to ]
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trail wrote:
To start off, this is not an athlete-bashing thread. There is no greater story in all of athletes than the undertalented underdog who has One Great Day, and shocks the world. This is about celebrating that triathlete who gave the middle finger to all the pre-Kona polls and celebrity stars, and won the damn race anyway.

For men I got the speedoed Faris Al-Sulton. For women the stealth win of Heather Fuhr, sneaking in between the PNF and Badmann eras.

Given the bolded criteria I think you have to say Chrissie Wellington. I mean nobody knew who she was, not even her competition with the exception of a small few who still probably didn't realize it until she passed them on the bike.


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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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Thomas Gerlach wrote:
trail wrote:
To start off, this is not an athlete-bashing thread. There is no greater story in all of athletes than the undertalented underdog who has One Great Day, and shocks the world. This is about celebrating that triathlete who gave the middle finger to all the pre-Kona polls and celebrity stars, and won the damn race anyway.

For men I got the speedoed Faris Al-Sulton. For women the stealth win of Heather Fuhr, sneaking in between the PNF and Badmann eras.


Given the bolded criteria I think you have to say Chrissie Wellington. I mean nobody knew who she was, not even her competition with the exception of a small few who still probably didn't realize it until she passed them on the bike.

No.
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [Shambolic] [ In reply to ]
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This is true- hence why I said SINCE Kona. Leanda cave is another interesting one. Where is she at these days
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [coates_hbk] [ In reply to ]
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I agree with Leanda Cave but the post was 'most unlikely ever to win Kona' and it was no surprise I'm sure he was probably even favourite that year. Maybe you should change your post to 'what happened post Kona.'
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [trail] [ In reply to ]
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trail wrote:
Thomas Gerlach wrote:
trail wrote:
To start off, this is not an athlete-bashing thread. There is no greater story in all of athletes than the undertalented underdog who has One Great Day, and shocks the world. This is about celebrating that triathlete who gave the middle finger to all the pre-Kona polls and celebrity stars, and won the damn race anyway.

For men I got the speedoed Faris Al-Sulton. For women the stealth win of Heather Fuhr, sneaking in between the PNF and Badmann eras.


Given the bolded criteria I think you have to say Chrissie Wellington. I mean nobody knew who she was, not even her competition with the exception of a small few who still probably didn't realize it until she passed them on the bike.


No.


What do you mean no, why doesn't Chrissie qualify??? She wasn't even on the radar, no bigger underdog than that.


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Last edited by: Thomas Gerlach: Jan 5, 18 21:58
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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Thomas Gerlach wrote:
trail wrote:
Thomas Gerlach wrote:
trail wrote:
To start off, this is not an athlete-bashing thread. There is no greater story in all of athletes than the undertalented underdog who has One Great Day, and shocks the world. This is about celebrating that triathlete who gave the middle finger to all the pre-Kona polls and celebrity stars, and won the damn race anyway.

For men I got the speedoed Faris Al-Sulton. For women the stealth win of Heather Fuhr, sneaking in between the PNF and Badmann eras.


Given the bolded criteria I think you have to say Chrissie Wellington. I mean nobody knew who she was, not even her competition with the exception of a small few who still probably didn't realize it until she passed them on the bike.


No.


What do you mean no, why doesn't Chrissie qualify??? She wasn't even on the radar, no bigger underdog than that.

Agree 100%. No one besides the athletes training with Brett Sutton no one knew who she was. When she went up the road on the bike all the favourites asked 'who's that' and Rebekah Keat who I believe was with Sutton and knew she was a freak athlete said 'the winner of the race.'

http://www.slowtwitch.com/...n_unplugged_518.html
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [trail] [ In reply to ]
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I would have to agree Chrissie. For the men I would think either Scott Molina (only because of Scott/Allen) or any uber biker before it happened, cant win it on the bike (you can just really hard)
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [Shambolic] [ In reply to ]
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Shambolic wrote:
I agree with Leanda Cave but the post was 'most unlikely ever to win Kona' and it was no surprise I'm sure he was probably even favourite that year. Maybe you should change your post to 'what happened post Kona.'

Leanda Cave i believe was a top 5 finisher in prior years before her win at Kona. She also won 70.3 world champs that year....so not exactly "out of the blue"

She did disappear off the radar significantly after that unfortunately but she did win IM Copenhagen and maybe a few 70.3.
Jacobs on the other hand completely melted away! Not sure what the real story is behind that!
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [asianzone] [ In reply to ]
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The real story behind Jacob’s dropping off the radar is the fact that post his win he stopped working with everyone that helped to get him to his win. As he said himself he had fatigue issues since a teen. He managed to get two TOP 10's and a second before the win working with the same coaching adviser, nutrition partner, management and even regular catch ups with Macca. Post his win he started to change all that and started looking at quackery! Check out the Ken Ware tremor therapy quackery that Jacobs started to follow like a guru....that was the start of the end. Talk of not needing to train Long, different nutrition ideas every time the weather changed......it all went downhill from there.....no surprise seeing him struggle on the bike by halfway when the Hawi Express has been scorching along and all he has been talking about are his say aerobic rides. Now he sadly seems to be a cautionary tale. A real shame.
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [TriZoeTri] [ In reply to ]
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He's now being "coached" by Phil Maffetone who's another pseudo scientist. He's also convinced that he is allergic to carbs. Dropped put of his last race because "his heart rate" was high on the bike. He's lost forever....

TriZoeTri wrote:
The real story behind Jacob’s dropping off the radar is the fact that post his win he stopped working with everyone that helped to get him to his win. As he said himself he had fatigue issues since a teen. He managed to get two TOP 10's and a second before the win working with the same coaching adviser, nutrition partner, management and even regular catch ups with Macca. Post his win he started to change all that and started looking at quackery! Check out the Ken Ware tremor therapy quackery that Jacobs started to follow like a guru....that was the start of the end. Talk of not needing to train Long, different nutrition ideas every time the weather changed......it all went downhill from there.....no surprise seeing him struggle on the bike by halfway when the Hawi Express has been scorching along and all he has been talking about are his say aerobic rides. Now he sadly seems to be a cautionary tale. A real shame.
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [trail] [ In reply to ]
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I think Jacobs was a little unlucky
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [TriZoeTri] [ In reply to ]
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TriZoeTri wrote:
The real story behind Jacob’s dropping off the radar is the fact that post his win he stopped working with everyone that helped to get him to his win. As he said himself he had fatigue issues since a teen. He managed to get two TOP 10's and a second before the win working with the same coaching adviser, nutrition partner, management and even regular catch ups with Macca. Post his win he started to change all that and started looking at quackery! Check out the Ken Ware tremor therapy quackery that Jacobs started to follow like a guru....that was the start of the end. Talk of not needing to train Long, different nutrition ideas every time the weather changed......it all went downhill from there.....no surprise seeing him struggle on the bike by halfway when the Hawi Express has been scorching along and all he has been talking about are his say aerobic rides. Now he sadly seems to be a cautionary tale. A real shame.

I agree with all of this. Kind of sad.

In terms of this thread, no one mentioned LVL. He came out of nowhere literally other than a second at ITU world's Cleveland to take the win in 1996. OK what really happened was the the podium at ITU Long Course World's in 1995 with Lessing, LVL and Peter Reid taking the podium. No one was watching that, but it turned out the podium for the next ~7 Konas was dominated by Reid and LVL.
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [TriZoeTri] [ In reply to ]
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I think that is a pretty harsh summary without knowing the full truth. If you believed his interviews his fatigue became so bad that I guess sends you to try quackery to overcome it. He even started to question if it was all mental and his wife said he was a shell of his former self. I don't know the full story but having suffered from fatigue off and on since a teen having found well after the fact I had suffered from glandular fever. I've lost pretty much almost the last two years and when I saw his latest interviews on avoiding carbs and he has energy I was so desperate I was prepared to try it. It is not just training but quality of life that gets affected. Lucky after multiple doctors and a nutritionist I found I had a gastro parasite and has most likely been the cause but my point being no one had any real idea, life sucks balls and you become desperate. By the sounds he has overturned every rock on his attempt to find the solution to get back and is still trying so I have nothing but respect for him.
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [Shambolic] [ In reply to ]
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Shambolic wrote:
I think that is a pretty harsh summary without knowing the full truth. If you believed his interviews his fatigue became so bad that I guess sends you to try quackery to overcome it. He even started to question if it was all mental and his wife said he was a shell of his former self. I don't know the full story but having suffered from fatigue off and on since a teen having found well after the fact I had suffered from glandular fever. I've lost pretty much almost the last two years and when I saw his latest interviews on avoiding carbs and he has energy I was so desperate I was prepared to try it. It is not just training but quality of life that gets affected. Lucky after multiple doctors and a nutritionist I found I had a gastro parasite and has most likely been the cause but my point being no one had any real idea, life sucks balls and you become desperate. By the sounds he has overturned every rock on his attempt to find the solution to get back and is still trying so I have nothing but respect for him.

As an aside many may or may not know I picked up mono last year in January-Feb. While I thought I got over it I relapsed in May/June. I was able to pull it somewhat together for Ironman Wisconsin but I too feel like a shell of my former self. For me too I have had a lot of ear issues and EDT that came from it as well. The EDT affects my balance which is no good, Type C Tympanogram with negative ear pressure in my right ear. I am working thru it and may have balloon dilation surgery but part of me thinks a slightly inflamed tonsil on that side is causing some of the problems and the ear could resolve on its own if the tonsil did. Working through various issue with allergies etc. But mono is a nasty nasty thing for an athlete.

My old roommate in Tucson (not triathlete) had a gastro parasite, that was no good. I feel for anyone with that.


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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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Karen Smyers?
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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I was 7 or so miles into the marathon, leading the AG race that day, and she comes by. (I think) Karen Smyers is riding behind her just scoping the scene out and I glance over at Karen with this confused look, "who's that!?" "Chrissie Wellington" 5-seconds of me thinking..... "who's that!?"

36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
I ka nana no a 'ike -- by observing, one learns | Kulia i ka nu'u -- strive for excellence
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [coates_hbk] [ In reply to ]
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I don't think Jacobs, Cave, or FVL were a surprise.

Jacob's was no surprise, he was second the year prior with very fast run times in Kona. Unfortunately for him, he's lost his mojo for some reason, only he and his team no the real reasons why.

Cave was not a real surprise, she had an excellent race record prior to her win at all distances and had also been building toward a win in Kona and in that year she cracked the code. Like Jacob, she's had some injuries, but unlike Jacob she's also had some good results outside of Kona since her win their.

FVL was no surprise either. He had excellent results in Kona prior to his win. FVL is front pack swimmer, a very strong biker and a solid runner. He had a lot of big wins outside of Kona before his Kona win and also after. FVL is still a solid top tier ironman distance racer despite some bad luck in Kona and outside of Kona. FVL's issue right now is that he is just a few steps behind a few of his competitors now in Kona under current rules. Although, if WTC gets its act together and institutes a 20m drafting rule and strictly enforces it in the next year or two, he might have another shot at a win.

Scott Molina in 1988 for the men and Karen Smyers in 1995 for the women as Mark Allen was entering his prime and the Queen of Kona Paul Newby-Fraser was also in her prime. Molina and Smyers were unlikely winners, not because of their abilities, but because of who they beat on the day. In contrast Jacobs, FVL and Cave were not unexpected winners.
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [Spandexboy] [ In reply to ]
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yes, perhaps your right. In Kona though, all 3 have vanished since their big wins. Would like to know where Cave is at.
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [MarkyV] [ In reply to ]
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Chrissie Wellington.
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [zedzded] [ In reply to ]
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Re: The Most Unlikely Ever To Win Kona [coates_hbk] [ In reply to ]
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FVL has hardly vanished in Kona. He was 8th in 2014, Got a penalty in 2015 and finished 25th, 10th in 2016 and DNF'd after not getting a crucial special needs bag on the bike in 2017. Two top 10s in Kona in 4 years post his win in 2013 is still very good. He also was 2nd at 2014 Ironman Germany, 1st at Ironman South Africa in 2015, 1st at Ironman Cozumel 2016 and 1st at Ironman France 2017 and would alsohave contended for the win at Ironman South Africa if he hadn't been robbed and concussed the week of the race and he still races and finished 7th. Those are his big results, but he has other good results also, he's hardly disappeared.

I would agree Jacobs and Cave have for the most part though.
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