TRI247
Search
shop
SUPERTRI E TICKETS DISCOUNT & VIP COMPETITION
SUPERTRI E TICKETS DISCOUNT & VIP COMPETITION

Laura Siddall defends IRONMAN Australia title

She races often and she races well - Great Britain's Laura Siddall defends her IRONMAN Australia title in Port Macquarie, a third career IRONMAN victory

Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
SHOP
Watch Potter, Brownlee & Beaugrand LIVE
Advertisement

Second IRONMAN title of 2018 for Great Britain’s Laura Siddall

(Photo Credit for header image: Delly Carr / IRONMAN)

After winning IRONMAN New Zealand in March, Laura Siddall added a third career IRONMAN title by defending her 2017 victory at IRONMAN Australia in Port Macquarie on Sunday.

Looking ahead to the race in my preview, I’d suggested that it looked set for another battle with Annabel Luxford (AUS), who has pushed Siddall into second place twice already this year at Challenge Wanaka and Challenge Melbourne.

When, as expected, Luxford lead the way through the opening 3.8km swim, exiting in 48:41 alongside Kelsey Withrow (USA), that looked set to be the case. Siddall was next into T1, but a full seven minutes back.

Withrow was unable to stay with the pace of the talented Luxford on the bike and while Siddall was giving chase, by the mid-point of the ride she had reduced her initial seven minute deficit by around 90 seconds. The second half would be crucial. Siddall did start to make big gains, and by 145km she took the lead – but for Luxford, her day would soon be over:

With her biggest rival now out of the race, Siddall would reach T2 with a lead approaching 16 minutes over Els Visser (NED), 19 minutes over Melanie Burke (NZL) and 24 minutes on Withrow and Renee Kiley (AUS). With her strength on the run, that was surely a race winning lead, and so it proved, with the Brit finishing with a 3:10:22 marathon – the fastest of the day – for a huge winning margin of almost 24 minutes.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bid0JojFc4P/?hl=en&taken-by=lmsid

Advertisement

CLICK HERE FOR THE MEN’S RACE REPORT

IRONMAN Australia Port Macquarie, Sunday 6th May 2018
3.8km / 180km / 42.2km

PRO WOMEN

1st – Laura Siddall (GBR) – 9:05:59
2nd – Melanie Burke (NZL) – 9:29:51
3rd – Kelsey Withrow (USA) – 9:45:00
4th – Els Visser (NED) – 9:56:32
5th – Renee Kiley (AUS) – 9:58:14

13th April 2024 - London
Watch Potter, Brownlee & Beaugrand as these triathlon superstars take on the world in the build up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
LIMITED TICKETS - DON'T MISS OUT!
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
Kyle Smith
Watt it takes to win at supertri E – a data dive into how deep the PROs have to dig
Arena Games Triathlon Finals Singapore - Beth Potter bike
The evolution of Esports in triathlon – How supertri brought virtual racing to the mainstream
Beth Potter Arena Games Triathlon Finals Singapore
Lightning fast splits and record breaking performances – relive some of the top moments from women’s supertri E racing
Lionel Sanders Arena Games Montreal game face on bike photo credit SLT
Countdown to supertri E – a look back at some of the most epic moments in men’s triathlon E racing
Challenge Barcelona 2023 - Photo Credit: Jose Luis Hourcade
Brownlee brothers on the costly race day swim mistakes to avoid – plus their own mishaps
latest News
Ben Kanute / Tom Bishop PTO European Open 2023 Ibiza
Former American Olympic triathlete shares the “s*** side of the sport” after Miami T100
Brownlee Fitness Marathon Training Plan
Brownlee overcomes road closure to record rapid run split at Northern Road Relays
Lucy Charles-Barclay comes home second at the Miami T100.
Lucy Charles-Barclay reveals injury struggle that almost kept her from competing in Miami T100
Sam Long wins IRONMAN 70.3 St George 2023 photo credit Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images for IRONMAN
American middle distance star doubling up with back-to-back IRONMAN Series and T100 races
ST GEORGE, UTAH - MAY 07: Lionel Sanders of Canada reacts as he approaches the finish line to place second during the 2021 IRONMAN World Championships on May 07, 2022 in St George, Utah. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images for IRONMAN)
Professional triathlete Lionel Sanders on overtraining, burnout and balancing rest days
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
Invalid email address
The SBRX Group

Proudly elevating endurance sports through content, products & services

SBRX
RUN247
Share to...