Search
shop

IRONMAN Barcelona: Van Vlerken takes top spot once again

Three weeks on and another iron-distance win for Yvonne Van Vlerken at IRONMAN Barcelona. Both won in under nine hours too...
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Advertisement

Van Vlerken wins – and goes Sub-9 for the FOURTEENTH 

‘Flying Blonde Dutch Girl’ wins again, three weeks after Almere ETU Champs…

…and a strong IRONMAN debut from Great Britain’s Kimberley Morrison

Having seen three men break the eight hour mark at IRONMAN Barcelona today, it probably won’t come as a surprise to find that it was a rather swift day for the women in Calella today too…

As with the Pro men, the 3.8km swim saw a close group exit the water together, and they were headed by Great Britain’s Kate Comber, with Kimberley Morrison – in her first full distance start – just 23 seconds back. Daniela Sammler (GER) was part of that lead group, with Lisa Huetthaler (AUT) and Yvonne Van Vlerken (NED) at 1:43 and 3:38 respectively, of the pre-race favourites.

Things became very clear, pretty quickly on the bike – and at 100km, the trio of Sammler, Morrison and Huetthaler were at the front of the race, eight minutes ahead of Van Vlerken. That remained the situation until T2, though Van Vlerken had reduced that gap slightly to just over six minutes. A fine runner with incredible experience, she was in contention for yet another major result to add to her impressive CV.

The first half of the run saw Sammler and Huetthaler separated by little more than a minute, but the Dutch master was closing in fast. As perhaps expected, Morrison had fallen back in her weakest discipline, but was sticking to her own plan and targets and running well. Just after the halfway mark, Van Vlerken had Sammler in her sights, moved past – and would not be seen again. She pushed on and, via a 3:05:02 marathon, would take the victory in a swift 8:46:18, the third fastest of her career.

Sammler dropped off the pace slightly in the second half (3:20:11), allowing Huetthaler (AUT) to move back into second place, with Sammler completing the podium. Fourth placed Katja Konschak (GER) ran a swift 3:03:27 marathon to also go Sub-9 for the first time, with Great Britain’s Morrison crossing the line fifth in 9:12:49 after splits of 52:28 / 4:37:23 / 3:37:17.

Van Vlerken shaved a few seconds from her 2015 winning time to set a new course record.

IRONMAN Barcelona, Calella, Spain – Saturday 30th September 2017
3.8km / 180km / 42.2km

PRO WOMEN

1st – Yvonne Van Vlerken (NED) – 8:46:18
2nd – Lisa Huetthaler (AUT) – 8:51:21
3rd – Daniela Sammler (GER) – 8:55:11
4th – Katja Konschak (GER) – 8:57:12
5th – Kimberley Morrison (GBR) – 9:12:49

11th – Kate Comber (GBR) – 9:40:56
16th – Rachel Hallam (GBR) – 10:41:20

John Levison
Written by
John Levison
TRI247's Chief Correspondent, John has been involved in triathlon for well over 30 years, 15 of those writing on these pages, whilst he can also be found commentating for events across the UK.
Discover more
TRI247 podcast p/b Challenge Family episode 2
Go behind the scenes at Challenge Roth with the latest episode of the TRI247 podcast
Cadomotus Chronos triathlon cycling shoes
The triathlon cycling shoe that promises a 10-watt saving: Cadomotus Chronos Aero triathlon cycling shoes review
Challenge Family Roth
Five things you need to know about the Challenge Roth bike course
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
latest News
Olympic bronze medallist almost called it quits ahead of Challenge Roth debut but now “exactly where I’m supposed to be”
Lionel Sanders at the press conference ahead of 70.3 World Championship 2023
Huge injury update as Canadian triathlon superstar Lionel Sanders confirms brutal diagnosis
Sam Dickinson second place ironman 703 jonkoping 2025
British Olympic hero Sam Dickinson bidding for home glory at IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea
Kat Matthews IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Taupo New Zealand 2024
IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea: Date, start time, who’s racing and how to watch live
Laura Siddall Challenge Roth run 2023 photo credit Challenge Roth
Laura Siddall signs off amazing pro career in fitting place at beloved Challenge Roth
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...