Team ready for Ironman championship

Seven champions from the Bahrain Endurance Team are in the kingdom for the Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championship tomorrow after a long year of hard racing and the final test of the season.

Ironman World Champion Daniela Ryf will complete her attempt to win all three races of the Nasser Bin Hamad Triple Crown in a bid for the million-dollar bonus pot. Alongside her on the starting line will be Ironman African Champion Jodie Swallow and two-time Ironman Asia Pacific Champion Caroline Steffen.

In the men’s field, four-time Ironman champion Ben Hoffman, Ironman 70.3 Vietnam champion James Cunnama, Ironman Taiwan champion Domenico Passuello, and fastest Ironman debut record holder Brent McMahon will ensure the level of competition is high on the fast course. Team captain Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa will also be racing, as this is the first Ironman event to be held in the region.

Aside from those racing, two more champion Bahrain Endurance athletes have also been in attendance as the team conducts their end-of-season training camp with the aim of inspiring the nation to better health and fitness. Ironman World Champion Jan Frodeno and Ironman 70.3 Budapest champion Terenzo Bozzone have joined the team on training sessions with local elite and age group athletes and conducting Q&A sessions at school visits.

At a dinner with Shaikh Nasser and Shaikh Khalid, the team received praise for raising the standard of triathlon through their efforts.

Shaikh Nasser challenged other teams to do the same. He said he was extremely proud of the team members and what they do to help promote awareness of a healthy lifestyle through triathlon and endurance sports.