They said it: the pros get ready for the Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship Cairns
Some of the pre-race favourites give us their thoughts as they prepare for tomorrow's pivotal race in the Ironman Pro Series
Photo by:
Kevin Mackinnon
With US$150,000 of prize money, four spots each for the men and women for the Ironman World Championship races in Nice and Kona, not to mention valuable points for the Ironman Pro Series, tomorrow’s Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship is gearing up to be a big day of racing. Yesterday’s press conference featured four of the top men and women, who shared some insights on what we can expect for tomorrow’s race.
Live coverage
As part of the Ironman Pro Series, the race will be covered live, with coverage starting at 7:00 a.m. AEST (Sunday) / 9:00 p.m. GMT (Saturday) / 5:00 p.m. EST (Saturday). The coverage will be broadcast in U.S. and Canada exclusively on Outside TV and for international audiences across multiple platforms, including proseries.ironman.com, DAZN, and L’Equipe in France.
Kylie Simpson – Australia
The defending champion is in the hunt for a third title here in Cairns – a race she calls her favourite on the pro series. With a number of strong swim-bikers in the field, Simpson knows she’s in for a tough go if she’s going to win on Sunday.
“It’s no secret that all of these women are going to be out of the water in front of me,” Simpson said. “I just have to keep that deficit as low as possible. I have to get on the bike head down and chase.”
Braden Currie – New Zealand
The men’s defending champ is another big fan of the Cairns race. Two of his highlights include his epic race against Javier Gomez, where he was able to pull away from the Spanish star after the two battled on the run, and last year’s record-setting performance.
“I had a PB run and felt really comfortable,” he said. “Last year things went so smooth – I just had one of those days where things felt great.”
Lotte Wilms – The Netherlands
Based in the Sunshine Coast, the Tokyo Olympian actually met her partner and got engaged here in Cairns, so she’s happy to be back to race here on Sunday. One of the strong swimmers in the field, Wilms says she’ll look to “stay away from the faster runners for as long as I can.” Will that be right to the finish line?
After a third-place finish at Ironman Texas, a top finish here in Cairns would put Wilms in a great position for a top finish in the Ironman Pro Series.
Joe Skipper – Great Britain
With a number of Ironman wins and records to his name, an on-form Joe Skipper is most definitely a favourite here in Cairns.
“I feel good leading into the weekend, but heading into Texas I felt good, too,” Skipper said, referring to his DNF in Texas in April. “If I have good luck I can be in contention for the win. For quite a few of us in this race it’s make or break for the Ironman Pro Series.”
Hannah Berry – New Zealand
While it’s her first time competing in Cairns, Berry arrives as one of the pre-race favourites after a fourth-place finish at Ironman Texas in April. She’s enjoyed a steady build over the last 12 months, which she attributes to being injury free.
“That’s a big change from the years prior to that,” she said. “I have a new coach … he’s taken no risks on the injury front. I am at the point now where my running is coming back. I had a great run in Kona, even though I hadn’t been running too much.”
Nick Thompson – Australia
At 24, Thompson is the youngest of the male professionals in the field.
“For years I have watched the likes of Braden and Joe,” he said. “Racing guys who have been at the top for so long … is just really exciting.”
Lauren Brandon – United States
The swim course record holder here in Cairns (48:39 from 2018), Brandon is likely to lead out of the water, although she and Wilms shared the lead duties in Texas in April.
“Even though I didn’t have the race I wanted to six years ago, this was such a great race and the community was so supportive, so I wanted to get back,” she said. “Hopefully we (Wilms and Kiwi Rebecca Clarke, another strong swimmer) can work together on the bike. Lotte was super strong on the bike, so I’ll have to see if I can stay with her.”
Ben Hamilton – New Zealand
A former pro cyclist, Ben Hamilton finished third at Ironman New Zealand in March, and took an impressive second at the Ironman 70.3 North American Championships in St. George, Utah in May. He’s also entered to compete at the Ironman European Championship Frankfurt, but says he’ll assess whether he’ll compete there on Monday.
