Yes, it is happening!
He will try to qualify 23. June at IM Ireland.
Qualifying should be “easy” (bar injuries), but how will he deal with the Kona heat?
What a race Kona could be this year, vengence for Kienle/Frodeno, Lange still running fast! Too bad Lionel is not going to be in peak condition, only need Javier then (who will not attend due to Olympics).
Where did you see this?
Latest news was winning ETU. https://www.bbc.com/sport/triathlon/48490820
Sounds like he’s focused on ITU yet. I won’t believe they’re serious until he and his brother are training and racing in an IM together.
Where did you see this?
Latest news was winning ETU. https://www.bbc.com/...t/triathlon/48490820
Sounds like he’s focused on ITU yet. I won’t believe they’re serious until he and his brother are training and racing in an IM together.
Ironman FB page:
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This is AMAZING! I am also racing Ireland, can’t wait now!!!
I think Johnny has said he’ll be moving onto 70.3 after Tokyo.
I wasn’t expecting the news regarding Ali - saw it on Instagram this morning. I’m wondering if Kona this year is essentially a test run for attempting the Olympics / 70.3 / Kona triple in 2020?
Exciting, my best guess is he’s still playing the options.
If he goes well at Leeds and feels he has a chance of getting sufficient 10k run speed to have a shot at Tokyo I’d bet he’ll go all in for that and leave Kona on the shelf.
He may then race Cork (a race that will suit him down to the ground) just as a test run; maybe he’ll then look at his chances of both and make the call.
He’s always said that Kona and Olympic gold were either/or - he couldn’t go for both in the same season and would have to decide a long way out which. I’d always read that as ‘Kona after Tokyo’ since 2021 KOna is plausible, 2024 Olympic Golc is not.
let the speculation begin…
I just had a look at the Tokyo timetable - The men’s and mixed relay events will be done by 1st August - that’s 3 months before Kona, and the 70.3 Worlds aren’t until late November.
The 3 events are spread over 5 months which is a lot more than I expected them to be.
huh.
a few stray thoughts:
-this is terribly exciting if true, only because it satisfies the sort of bar-bet-banter that sports fans love. “how would ali do at IM?” well, now we’ll know.
-ali has a long history of signing up for lots of stuff and then deciding later whether he’ll show. so i’d say it’s even chances on a DNS now.
-i’m just not sure this is his best play. i love the guy and his style of racing. but given everything, i’m not certain the full distance is his strength. if i were his coach i might suggest he top out at half IM and decide to absolutely own that distance for a while. the full is about patience, sitting in, etc. - he’s shown a problem with that in his 1/2 racing, and it’ll be magnified at the full. at ireland he might just go off the front all day, but that approach won’t work at kona.
-i’m ambivalent about his chances at tokyo; not sure the fire is still there, though, and it might not represent the best use of his energy.
Spoke to him a few months ago. He will do it. Worst kept secret I thought. Oh well.
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I’m a big fan of his and have some knowledge of his very impressive history, do you think it’s possible or just hopeful.
My personal thought is that he pushes himself absurdly hard, which will either take him to big places in this race or he will hurt himself trying.
I certainly HOPE he pushes Lange/Frodeno though.
I’d expect him to be a front pack swimmer, maybe 2nd off the bike after Wurf, but he will blow up in the heat on the run.
Either DNF or 5th-10th.
I’m from northern England too, we don’t like the heat and humidity!
I’d expect him to be a front pack swimmer, maybe 2nd off the bike after Wurf, but he will blow up in the heat on the run.
Either DNF or 5th-10th.
I’m from northern England too, we don’t like the heat and humidity!
I can certainly relate to that! I’m 180lbs!
That is my hunch as well, although I’d love to wrong.
Poor Tom Bishop or Yee (my guess is Yee makes it over Bishop). One of them likely gets pushed to side for AB to race Tokyo and he’s racing IM’s as the buildup. I don’t know if that’s arrogance or he’s that burned out of giving a flip about ITU; he is 2 time champ so he’s really telling everyone it’s his way.
I guess if he truly tries both events (as I said I think this Tokyo decision could “drag†on til May 2020), we’ll see what specificity allows for. Of course Kona 2019 or even 2020 doesn’t truly matter. That event is every year so he can have some learning years or he may just hate it all together who knows.
huh.
a few stray thoughts:
-this is terribly exciting if true, only because it satisfies the sort of bar-bet-banter that sports fans love. “how would ali do at IM?” well, now we’ll know.
-ali has a long history of signing up for lots of stuff and then deciding later whether he’ll show. so i’d say it’s even chances on a DNS now.
-i’m just not sure this is his best play. i love the guy and his style of racing. but given everything, i’m not certain the full distance is his strength. if i were his coach i might suggest he top out at half IM and decide to absolutely own that distance for a while. the full is about patience, sitting in, etc. - he’s shown a problem with that in his 1/2 racing, and it’ll be magnified at the full. at ireland he might just go off the front all day, but that approach won’t work at kona.
-i’m ambivalent about his chances at tokyo; not sure the fire is still there, though, and it might not represent the best use of his energy.
This will be great. I hope he shows up with no injury. How is Frodo doing. We need a Frodo + Brownlee tag team to T2 with a few others who are “Macca Style Acquired Helpers” to distance the Blue Train that no doubt Drietz will soft pedal around the big island to set up Mr. 140 lbs Kona magic man. If Mr. 140lbs Kona magic man gets to T2 close, he’s has almost 8 kilos less weight on the other guys meaning he’s running around generating 100 watts less heat throught the lava fields at the same pace as the bigger guys. They have to get him isolated on the bike, but hard to do if Drietz is soft pedaling and keeping a group intact.
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I’m a big fan of his and have some knowledge of his very impressive history, do you think it’s possible or just hopeful.
My personal thought is that he pushes himself absurdly hard, which will either take him to big places in this race or he will hurt himself trying.
I certainly HOPE he pushes Lange/Frodeno though.
I don’t know how he will cope with the heat. But his 2nd place in South Africa after a long injury lay off was impressive. He ran a 1.07? He’ll be in the front pack with the swim, have a solid bike and will be in the top 3 for a good portion of the run. I’d expect top 7. It really just comes down to who can perform better in the heat and wind.
Exciting, my best guess is he’s still playing the options.
If he goes well at Leeds and feels he has a chance of getting sufficient 10k run speed to have a shot at Tokyo I’d bet he’ll go all in for that and leave Kona on the shelf.
He may then race Cork (a race that will suit him down to the ground) just as a test run; maybe he’ll then look at his chances of both and make the call.
He’s always said that Kona and Olympic gold were either/or - he couldn’t go for both in the same season and would have to decide a long way out which. I’d always read that as ‘Kona after Tokyo’ since 2021 KOna is plausible, 2024 Olympic Golc is not.
let the speculation begin…
I’m guessing this is what he’s thinking, I’d rather see him in Tokyo though than Kona.
Pretty ambitious from Alistair. Within a month (?) he will try to win a sprint race and IM! I’m not sure how you train for both. My guess
My prediction is that Alistair tries to ride solo off the front in Leeds so that Jonny can have a free ride?