Dan Lorang – the man with a plan – sees LCB and Haug deliver with astonishing Kona one-two

Lucy Charles-Barclay and Anne Haug‘s incredible one-two at the IRONMAN World Championship on Saturday marked another remarkable feat for their coach Dan Lorang.

Lorang’s ‘day job’ is Head of Performance / Head Coach with the BORA – hansgrohe pro cycling team – which has recently signed Primoz Roglic.

But he also coaches an incredible line-up of triathletes – including LCB, Haug and Sarah True – who was a fine eighth herself on Saturday – on the women’s side.

Lorang also looked after modern-day great Jan Frodeno ever since he made the move up to middle and long-distance, right through to his retirement just a few weeks ago.

In terms of the next generation on the men’s side, Frederick Funk is progressing well year-on-year under Lorang and has just enjoyed his best season, which included second place at the World 70.3 Championship, while fellow German Justus Nieschlag is another to look out for in the top middle-distance races going forward.

‘Wow, just wow,’ says Frodeno

In 2019 Lorang coached both Frodeno and Haug to their respective IMWC titles in Kona and reacting to this latest landmark on Instagram he said: “I need some time to comment on it…

“BUT, yes, World Champion @lucycharles93 with a new course record and 🥈 for @tri.anne.haug with a new run course record!!

“At the moment I can just say thank you to all the people involved!!!”

And one of the first of many to respond was none other than Frodeno, who posted: “Wow, just wow. So very good👏”

Long-term gains

The longevity of Lorang’s coaching partnerships has been a common theme and he’s looked after Haug throughout her career.

He joined up with Charles-Barclay and her husband and coach Reece in early 2021, ahead of what was until this weekend the high point of her career – a dominant victory at the 70.3 Worlds in St George.

The style of that win – leading throughout and powering away from a stacked field – was replicated in Kona on Saturday as the 30-year-old Briton smashed the previous course best by nearly two minutes, while Haug was also a record breaker thanks to the first sub-2:50 marathon in Hawaii.

We’d spoken to Lorang the Monday before the race and his words were then underlined by the actions of his athletes.

Of LCB he’d talked in detail about how an intense indoor training block in the UK had left her in fine shape as she came back from a fractured third metatarsal in her left foot, adding: “For sure we’re training for this [going one better than her previous four second places] and the plan is really to have that masterclass race now in Kona.

“If she can deliver everything that we have seen in training, then she can compete for the victory.”

And of Haug he’d hinted that we might be about to see something special on the run, explaining: “For sure the run is at a good place at the moment, but also we probably haven’t yet seen the full potential in the run from Anne in Kona. Just delivering everything on the run that she’s capable of. So that’s a big goal and then we see about the result for sure.”