Flora Duffy, Matt Trautman win IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa

Two-time ITU World Champion wins on IRONMAN 70.3 debut

Emma Pallant maintain’s Great Britain’s 13 year podium streak in Buffalo City

It might have been a new style of swim-bike-run for Bermuda’s sporting hero, but Flora Duffy showed today that she will surely be a significant threat over the middle distance format at IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa. We’ll get to see her race against the world’s best later this year in Taupo, New Zealand, at the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships. Between now and then, the small matter of Tokyo 2020 to think about.

The men’s race saw a reversal of the top two positions from 12 months ago (HERE), with Matt Trautman taking a fourth win at the event (to add to 2018, 2016 and 2015), ahead of XTERRA World Champion, Bradley Weiss. The all South African men’s podium was completed by another ITU debutant over the distance, Commonwealth Games Champion, Henri Schoeman.

PRO WOMEN

No surprise to see Flora Duffy in a league of her own in the swim, she’s typically seen at the front of every race alongside the likes of Jess Learmonth and Katie Zaferes. More than three and half minutes clear of Lucie Zelenkova (CZE), her advantage of Great Britain’s Emma Pallant in fourth place was a whopping 4:18.

#IM703SA – @floraduffy is out of the water, and what a lead: She seems to be more than 3 minutes in front of her chasers. Swim time very close to the top men in 25:43 pic.twitter.com/OBcte9F9fK

— IRONMANLive (@IRONMANLive) January 26, 2020

By the midpoint of the bike, Duffy was still well clear and pretty much holding that four minute gap over the chasing duo of Pallant and Jade Nicole (RSA). On the return leg, we can only assume that ‘something’ happened – mechanical or puncture – as the always strong on the bike Duffy lost a huge amount of time.

*** UPDATE *** Flora explains post-race that time loss:

Did my first @IRONMANtri 70.3 yesterday. In the last 45km my left glute really locked up and was unable to push any power (I lost 9mins!). So glad I was able to recompose myself and run for the win. Learnt a lot & so happy to punch my ticket to worlds. #IM703SA pic.twitter.com/gUwmDgctco

— Flora Duffy (@floraduffy) January 27, 2020

Pallant reached T2 in first place, 1:25 up on Nicole, but with Duffy now a full five minutes in arrears in third. With Emma already qualified for the World Champs, Flora would at least need second place to secure the slot that she wanted. She would do much more than that.

#IM703SA – @floraduffy is super solid on her way at km 50. She is 3:53 in front of @EmmaPallant and @Jade_Nicole89, @Annahbanana247 +8:47, van Heerden +10:02 pic.twitter.com/xP7J3cunuN

— IRONMANLive (@IRONMANLive) January 26, 2020

The first 6km saw Pallant and Duffy matched almost second-for-second pace wise, while Jade Nicole was still holding second place but being caught. The pass happened around the 10km mark, by which time the Stellenbosch-based, pride of Bermuda was starting to also make up time on the British athlete.

#IM703SA – The BIG fight is back: @floraduffy is only 63 seconds behind @EmmaPallant at km 16.2. Still a long way to go and a tough battle to stay. @Jade_Nicole89 about 5 mins behind, van Heerden +12, @Annahbanana247 +13 pic.twitter.com/XC6X3HNQfu

— IRONMANLive (@IRONMANLive) January 26, 2020

With 5km to go the gap was down to a minute, and Duffy would show no signs of slowing, closing out her race with an impressive 1:20:37 run, which would bring her home two minutes ahead of Pallant (1:27:38).

PRO MEN

Absolutely no surprise at all to see Henri Schoeman set a pace that nobody could go with through the 1.9km swim. He would start the bike more than two minutes clear of a group that included many of the favourites, including Michael Raelert (GER), Trautman, Weiss, Cyril Viennot (FRA), Rudolf Naude (RSA) and Kyle Buckingham (RSA).

#IM703SA – What a great intro for IRONMAN 70.3 rookie @H_Schoeman! Clear lead in the water and into the bike.
Top 5 men: Schoeman 23:27, @csokebalazs 25:32, @raelertbrothers 25:38, @Rudolf_Naude 25:42, @MattyTrautman 25:44 pic.twitter.com/fWi1mrM2o8

— IRONMANLive (@IRONMANLive) January 26, 2020

The first half of the bike saw Schoeman maintain his advantage, with Weiss, Trautman, Raelert and Buckingham the strong riders who now formed the chasing group. The fast return leg would see all five come together, and as they started the run, Trautman in first and Schoeman in fifth were separated by less than 20 seconds.

#IM703SA – The heat is on! @MattyTrautman @raelertbrothers @kylebuckingham and @BSWeiss_Tri caught up with @H_Schoeman on the final kilometers of the bike – Trautman is off the bike in first place after 2:45:29 race time pic.twitter.com/nESadTa4Rc

— IRONMANLive (@IRONMANLive) January 26, 2020

Trautman took his small T2 lead and never let it go, a 1:15:43 half marathon comfortably the best of the day and allowing his to collect a fourth win at this even with a winning margin of almost three minutes, ahead of Weiss (1:18:15) and Schoeman (1:19:55). Those times gives some reflection of how impressive the run performance from Flora Duffy was today.

#IM703SA – Here is your men’s champion: @MattyTrautman takes the win in 4:02:59! pic.twitter.com/J3KHpTFQXQ

— IRONMANLive (@IRONMANLive) January 26, 2020

IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa, Sunday 26th January 2020
1.9km / 90km / 21.1km

PRO MEN

1st – Matt Trautman (RSA) – 4:02:59
2nd – Bradley Weiss (RSA) – 4:05:48
3rd – Henri Schoeman (RSA) – 4:07:30
4th – Bart Aernouts (BEL) – 4:09:10
5th – Kyle Buckingham (RSA) – 4:10:17

#IM703SA – Happy dad and proud winner or happy winner and proud dad, doesn’t matter: Congratulations, @MattyTrautman pic.twitter.com/rJV4VWKJZ4

— IRONMANLive (@IRONMANLive) January 26, 2020

PRO WOMEN

1st – Flora Duffy (BER) – 4:34:05
2nd – Emma Pallant (GBR) – 4:36:08
3rd – Jade Nicole (RSA) – 4:41:17
4th – Natia Van Heerden (RSA) – 4:46:26
5th – Annah Watkinson (RSA) – 4:48:39

#IM703SA – Top 5 women: @floraduffy 4:34:05, @EmmaPallant 4:36:08, @Jade_Nicole89 4:41:17, van Heerden 4:46:26, @Annahbanana247 4:48:39 pic.twitter.com/xFYIgP6PGV

— IRONMANLive (@IRONMANLive) January 26, 2020

Great Britain’s podium run at IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa:

• 2008 – Fraser Cartmell (3rd) – REPORT
• 2009 – Fraser Cartmell (2nd) – REPORT
• 2010 – Fraser Cartmell (1st) – REPORT / GALLERY
• 2011 – Jodie Swallow (1st) – REPORT
• 2012 – Jodie Swallow (1st) – REPORT
• 2013 – Jodie Swallow (1st) / Susie Cheetham (2nd) / Tim Don (3rd) –  REPORT
• 2014 – Jodie Swallow (1st) / Will Clarke (2nd) – REPORT (WOMEN) / REPORT (MEN)
• 2015 – Jodie Swallow (1st) / Susie Cheetham (2nd) / Parys Edwards (3rd) – REPORT
• 2016 – Jodie Swallow (1st) – REPORT
• 2017 – Jodie Swallow (1st) / Susie Cheetham (2nd) – REPORT
• 2018 – Emma Pallant (2nd) – REPORT
• 2019 – Emma Pallant (2nd) – REPORT
• 2020 – Emma Pallant (2nd)