5 Things we learned from Augusta 70.3
Lionel Sanders isn’t racing “until he has something better to show” and more we learned from the race in Georgia
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Meg Oliphant/Getty Images for Ironman
It was a big day for Canadian athletes, who took four of the six podium spots, but Ironman 70.3 Augusta also saw a huge comeback race for an up and coming German and more. Here are a few of the things we noted from the day of racing in Georgia:
Lionel Sanders feels like he has some work to do
Two podium finishes on two weekends doesn’t seem to be enough for Lionel Sanders, who took a close second to Jackson Laundry at Ironman 70.3 Michigan, then finished third in Augusta. The message was pretty simple:
“You will not see me on a race course again until I have something better to show you,” Sanders stated on Instagram.
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Paula Findlay is much more than a great cyclist
It’s been quite a season for Paula Findlay, who represented Canada at the World Cycling Championships in the time trial thanks to her successful defence of her Canadian TT championship, took fifth at the 70.3 worlds, sits fifth in the PTO World ranking and took the win in Augusta thanks to an all-round performance. Sure, Findlay had the fastest bike split, but she also had the day’s third-fastest swim and the second-fastest run.
Considering she wasn’t “sure about racing again this year,” Findlay managed an impressive performance.
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Mika Noodt has so much potential
There are two easy things to be said about the 23-year-old’s performance in Augusta – the young German’s decisive win as more proof of just how competitive the triathlon world is over in Europe, and Mika Noodt is definitely a name to remember in the future. Fifth at the 70.3 worlds last year in St. George, he’s been injured for much of this year, but certainly bounced back in style. Noodt took 12th in Singapore at the PTO Asian Open in his first comeback race, then managed to overcome the same sickness issues that affected so many after that race to put together an all-round day that included the fastest pro swim, the second-fastest bike and the day’s fastest run.
Tamara Jewett is getting closer …
There’s no doubt she is amongst the sport’s best runners, but the reason Tamara Jewett has become a regular podium finisher at 70.3 races in America is that she’s dramatically improved her swimming and biking over the last few years. That means she’s coming off the bike within touch of the leaders, and able to utilize her incredible run talent to best effect.
In Augusta Jewett had the day’s fifth-fastest swim and fifth-fastest bike to go along with the day’s fastest run. There’s still work to be done to truly get to the next level and get to the podium at the most competitive PTO and world championship events, but things are definitely moving in the right direction. Jewett quit her job as a lawyer last fall to focus on triathlon full time – it certainly appears to have been a good move!
Jackson Laundry has really rounded into excellent shape
It’s a bit later than he would have liked – August was supposed to be the big month for Laundry and it didn’t work out (DNF at the PTO US Open and 26th in Lahti at the 70.3 worlds), but September has turned out pretty well with the win in Michigan and a solid second to Noodt in Augusta. He finished ahead of Sanders at both races – a feat in itself.
It’s time for a bit of a break, Laundry pointed out in his update, but the two great September performances certainly prove that Laundry remains a force on the 70.3 race scene.
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