Brave 8 set to compete in Kona

Manama : Eight members of the Bahrain Endurance 13 are set to compete among the world’s best in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, US tomorrow at the Ironman World Championship with defending champions Daniela Ryf and Jan Frodeno in the fray.

Ryf has produced back-to-back sub-9 hour finishes this year in Challenge Roth and Ironman Switzerland, recording the shortest amount of time between wins over the full distance and fourth place at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. 

After qualifying via a runner-up finish at Ironman Lanzarote and then smashing the long-distance world record at Challenge Roth, Frodeno skipped the long flight and title defence at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Australia and remained at his summer base in Girona, Spain to focus on Kona.

Terenzo Bozzone is back on the starting line after missing out on Kona last year and is unbeaten since Ironman Cairns and high on confidence from winning the ITU Long Distance Championship, while Jodie Swallow is ready for the race course again and control during the nine-hour day. 

James Cunnama has built his entire year around qualifying and preparing for this single event with silver at last year’s silver at Ironman Mallorca recently one at Ironman France, while David Plese won at Ironman Barcelona, then taking fifth place at Ironman races in Austria and Switzerland.

Brent McMahon has one more Ironman title and a host of sub-8 hour finishes to his name.