Three-discipline Endurance Race Competition: Swim, Bike, Run - In Hamburg's Ironman competition, Bleymehl places third and ensures a spot at the World Championship.
To win again in Hamburg like in 2017 during the Ironman's launch, Daniela Bleymehl had a reason to party. With her personal best time of 8:28:09 hours, she finished the 3.8-kilometer swim, 178-kilometer bike ride, and 42.195 kilometer run, lagging behind only two athletes. The American, Jackie Hering, came in first with a time of 8:19:14, winning $28,000 in prize money and 5,000 points in the Pro-Series ranking for her victory at the European Championships. The Dane, Maja Stage Nielsen, landed second place with a time of 8:21:54.
Competitors started swimming at the Jungfernstieg at 6:15 a.m. Bleymehl found herself in 12th place during the first switch but moved up to second place on the bike course. But it wasn't the finish for the favorite Katrina Matthews, as she had to get off her bike due to a disqualification for an unlawful overtaking maneuver after approximately 115 kilometers.
"I had hoped for better in the swim. It didn't go as planned," said Bleymehl after the race. She dropped from second to fourth place during the marathon and confessed to having leg cramps during the last of the four laps.
"I'm satisfied overall," said the 35-year-old, who now has a ticket to compete in the World Championships in Nice on September 22nd. Her podium finish in Hamburg qualified her. "It feels fantastic to have secured a place now," she said.
Another local, Lars Wichert, a former lightweight rower, was well ahead of Hering and created a jovial atmosphere among the thousands of spectators with his second win in his hometown. Wichert completed the race in 7:50:42 hours.
Following the tragic accident of a support motorcyclist during the bike ride last year, the course had been altered. However, this led to more discussions, as these changes resulted in considerable limitations for the participants of the international junior rowing event in Hamburg-Allermöhe. Hamburg's Sports and Interior Senator Andy Grote had promised a solution the previous Friday.
(Edited for clarity and better flow from the original)
