Alistair Brownlee racing back-to-back weekends as Olympic champion targets Kona slot in South Africa

Alistair Brownlee has been announced on the start list for IRONMAN South Africa next weekend, just seven days after he takes on the best in the world at the Singapore T100.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist, who just missed out on the podium at his first race of the season in Miami, looks set to attempt to secure Kona qualification on Sunday April 21.

With a strong start list already announced, Brownlee will have his work cut out and joins other high profile names such as Daniela Ryf and Cameron Wurf in making the trip out to South Africa.

Top names descend on the Eastern Cape

Having not raced a full distance event since his win at IRONMAN Sweden back in the summer of 2022, Brownlee will hope his middle distance prowess from the past 18 months translates on race day.

Having won three out of the four Ironman races he has competed in, Brownlee is experienced over the distance and will hope he can pick up one of the four spots on offer for the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona this October.

Up against him will be home favourite Matt Trautman, who has finished on the podium at this race before, plus Mathias Petersen and Rasmus Svenningsson, who came third and fourth respectively last year. 

Wurf clocked the fastest bike split in South Africa last year and will always be a contender on this type of course, with Australian Josh Amberger, who is also set to race in Singapore, another strong swim-biker on the start list.

Whilst there is a chance Brownlee will not race, given the close proximity to Singapore, a strong race in South East Asia followed by Kona qualification in South Africa would surely signal that the Brit is back in good form and health.

Ryf continues retirement tour

Having last month announced that this year will be her last in the sport, 10-time IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion Ryf will look to secure her spot for Nice in South Africa after opening up her season in Miami.

Having won the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nelson Mandela Bay in 2018, as well as the IRONMAN African Championship in 2017, she is no stranger to racing in the Eastern Cape.  

Joining Ryf on the start list is another former champion, German Daniela Bleymehl, who won in 2022, plus established long course pros Susie Cheetham and Diede Diederiks.