The first list of qualifiers for the 2014 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Mont Tremblant have been released and if all who’ve accepted make it to the start line, this will undoubtedly be the most hotly-contested edition since the event’s inception in 2007. The reigning World champions Melissa Hauschildt and Sebastian Kienle are set to headline this year’s edition taking […]
DAN ATKINS – THE LIFE OF A HIGH PERFORMANCE COACH
Dan Atkins is quietly building himself an impressive stable of athletes up in Queensland in the junior and under-23 ITU ranks. Firstoffthebike.com’s Liam Bromilow caught up with Dan recently to find out a bit more about the talented coach. On a rainy, blowy, Sunday afternoon I had the opportunity to meet team Dan Atkins. It’s […]
Inside the ’50 Women to Kona’ Movement
The push to get equal numbers for the men’s and women’s professional fields at the Ironman World championship is well and truly on. In this piece, Firstoffthebike.com’s Susan Lacke investigates the ’50 women to Kona movement’ . In high school, Rachel Joyce wasn’t allowed to run the 1500-metre race on ‘Sports Day’. That was a […]
Chris McCormack issues Lance Armstrong a challenge
In a recent interview with Competitor Group’s Bob Babbit, two-time Ironman World Champion Chris McCormack revealed that a team of people had made contact with former professional cyclist Lance Armstrong about the prospect of a head-to-head, unsanctioned match-up between the pair in 2014. Speaking after the inaugural Challenge Laguna Phuket, Chris McCormack was asked about how […]
Craig Alexander to decide on Kona in August
Three-time Ironman World Champion and Kona course-record holder Craig Alexander (AUS) said he will wait until the end of August before deciding whether he will return to Hawaii in 2014. Australia’s Craig Alexander is leaving himself a little over five weeks to see if his body can handle the rigours of another Kona campaign, but […]
It’s not just about the finisher’s t-shirt
There’s been a lot of conjecture about why pro athletes don’t finish every race they start. Professional triathlete and full-time firefighter Matty White has penned this piece to provide some insight into why it’s not always about collecting a finisher’s t-shirt for the pro athletes racing. When I was 21 years old I vividly remember […]