From Craig Walton’s diary at his webpage:
“My main Focus toward the future is to maintain my domination of the US non-drafting circuit but at the same time to add in one Early season Ironman race and finish off my overseas campaign with the Hawaii ironman.”
The best triathlete in the world will do ironman!
That is cool. He is awesome. I’m a big fan.
I believe he did Ironman California the year that the deBooms finished one-two. I think he was fourth and as expected, blitzed the swim-bike and still had a solid run.
"The best triathlete in the world will do ironman! "
I love Waldo but that is a pretty bold statement. Before Macca switched to Ironman training he beat Waldo almost every time head to head. Simon Lessing also has a pretty high success rate against Walton. You also have to factor in guys like Deboom and Reid who dont even race the short course. Ask Macca if they are pushovers when it comes to the longer distances. I was on the course with Macca watching Waldo do the California Ironman a few years ago. It was his first crack at the distance. Both Debooms had just run by him and he looked pretty gassed. Macca told him to keep going and Waldos response was something like " these guys are nuts, they are going to run that pace for the whole marathon?" I hope Craig has great success in Hawaii but it seems to require a steep learning curve.
Craig Walton, yes a great guy, met him once, but a knucklehead!
Why would he want to follow Macca’s example of going from the top Oly / Spint Triathlete in the world to being a great (but not the best) Ironman. This is his year to win everything in the Sprint & Oly race scene. LA, Chi, NY, all the big money races. With Macca being into IM and Lessing saying he was transitioning into IM also, and with all the Olympians concentrating on Athens, this was his year to dominate. WHY? Ahh yes, the Peter Principle…
Peter Principle
n. The theory that employees within an organization will advance to their highest level of competence and then be promoted to and remain at a level at which they are incompetent.
Don’t do it Craig. (besides you are the core of my Fantasy Tri team, I am counting on you winning everything you compete in)
i don’t doubt that Walton will dominate the classic non-drating races this year, probably in more convincing fashion than last year.
He will win Wildflower too. I believe he is much better triathlete than he was 2-3 years ago, when macca beat him in short-course races, and he was out-classed in ironman races. He will have the fastest swim and bike legs at ironman, and he will have a good run after that. enough to win? maybe.
Walton raced at Ironman California 2001 and Ironman Australia 2002 (according to xtri)
California: 0:45:22 Swim 4:45:31 Bike 3:04:39 Run - 8:39:44 Total (3. place - 17:30 behind first)
Australia: 0:45:21 Swim 4:39:04 Bike 3:14:30 Run - 8:38:55 Total (5. Place - 14:04 behind first)