Search
shop

The Kona Press Conference 2018 Roundup

Thursday in Kona saw the Pro Press Conference at the 2018 IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii. Here's a roundup of who said what ahead of Saturday's big race...
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

#GBKona 2018 banner

Who said what at the 2018 IRONMAN World Championship Press Conference?

Lionel Sanders wins Quote of the Day: “Please punch me in the face!”

Always great for a quote, Canada’s Lionel Sanders takes the ‘prize’ for best performance at Thursday’s IRONMAN World Championship Press Conference. Is that a sign that he’ll be able to follow up with another victory on Saturday?

Here are some selected soundbites from Hawaii.

PICTURE CREDITS – JAMES MITCHELL PHOTOGRAPHY (www.jamesmitchell.eu)


IRONMAN World Championship 2018 Press Conference

Andrew Messick, CEO and President of IRONMAN

  • 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships to Taupo, New Zealand (FULL DETAILS)
  • 225,000 unique athletes raced at an IRONMAN race over the past year
  • 2019: 41 IRONMAN and 117 IRONMAN 70.3 races including new races in Oman and Greece, and expecting new races in Russia and India
  • The “percentage of athletes who can take a slot who do” is higher from Nice, France than any previous 70.3 World Champs

Javier Gomez

  • “After 15 years of doing a lot of the same things, I’m excited to be here and enjoying it.”
  • “I’m realistic – I have a lot of respect to this race and the people here. I’ll give my best and try to fight, but rookies don’t win first time for a reason. I have to stay focussed and not make too many mistakes”
IRONMAN World Championship 2018 - Photo James Mitchell
Patrick Lange and Javier Gomez

Mirindra Carfrae

  • “No ones needs to worry about me… I’m a has-been Mum!”
  • “I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how this season has gone – mentally I feel fresh… I’m excited to get back out on the course and race these girls”

Sebastian Kienle

  • “What keeps me going is remembering the feeling of 2017… feeling sorry for myself, what could I have done better.”
  • “Nothing is more dangerous to success in the future than success in the past… if you live in that past, you won’t get success in the future.”
  • “There are a lot of strong runners in the field… it’s going to be very interesting.”

IRONMAN World Championship 2018 - Photo James Mitchell

Lucy Charles

  • “Last year was a pretty magical day really  – it looked easy but it wasn’t, I promise! You know everyone is suffering at the end of that run, so you try and take a bit of comfort from that.”
  • “It was a steep learning curve from signing up for the that first Ironman. We love what we are doing which I think is why we get the results that we do.”

IRONMAN World Championship 2018 - Photo James Mitchell

Lionel Sanders

IRONMAN World Championship 2018 - Photo James Mitchell

“Please punch me in the face!”

Daniela Ryf

  • “This race has given me so much, I just love doing it. I still want to show more, to get better and show something you haven’t yet achieved.”
  • “Lucy showed a phenomenal race in South Africa. It pushed me, I knew I would have to prove I could run, I loved it. It was a great race and I’m looking forward to a great race on Saturday.”
  • “I feel ready, but I know a lot can happen.”

IRONMAN World Championship 2018 - Photo James Mitchell

Patrick Lange

  • “I believe it is better to start with low expectations and then see where you can get to.”
  • “I was thankful for Jan (Frodeno) for having that stellar season – I feel sorry for him that he’s not here. Look down that row – it’s still tough competition and that drives me, day in, day out, to try and win this race again.”

IRONMAN World Championship 2018 - Photo James Mitchell

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
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumTriathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
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
Hayden Wilde bike supertri Boston 2024 photo credit supertri
Premium10 ways to make your road bike faster and more aero for triathlons
Kristian Blummenfelt photo credit: PTO Canadian Open
PremiumIs your gut health impacting your performance? The untapped potential of good gut health for triathletes
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
PremiumHas triathlon reached peak performance? Tri experts and legends on how much faster triathletes could get
latest News
Triathlon superstar Hayden Wilde to make shock comeback at London T100
Lionel Sanders wins 70.3 St George 2025 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
‘Intimidating’ to go into Worlds after four months off – but Lionel Sanders up for the challenge
Georgia Taylor-Brown Alex Yee Super League Triathlon Malibu 2021
Triathlon’s most decorated Olympic duo now honoured by their former University
Olav Aleksander Bu Photo credit: Roj Ferman | Surpas
Top triathlon coach Olav Aleksander Bu says it’s all about the team after Uno-X bag first Tour de France win
Danielle Lewis (USA) takes the win in Lake Placid.
IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025: Date, start time, how to watch and who’s racing
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

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...