Canadians Awesome in Austria

Three Canadian women (OK, two Canadians and one Canadian born woman) finished in the top five at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Zell Am See-Kaprun, Austria today.

Age-group wonder Milos Kostic from Regina, Saskatchewan, the defending Ironman world champion in his age group, also won a silver medal in the men’s 70-74 category.

Heather Wurtele moved up one spot on the podium from last year to finish second to Swiss defending champion Daniela Ryf, while Magali Tisseyre added a fourth place finish to her two bronze medal performances at the 70.3 worlds. Rounding out the top five was Alicia Kaye, who became an American citizen when she married US Olympian Jarrod Shoemaker.

Ryf was pretty much unstoppable in defending her title thanks to the day’s third fastest swim split, followed by the fastest bike and run times for the women which got her to the line almost 12 minutes ahead of Wurtele, who moved from fifth to second on the run. Behind Ryf starting the run was Germany’s Anja Beranek, followed by Tisseyre and Kaye.

Last year’s runner-up, Jan Frodeno (GER) trailed the defending champion Javier Gomez (ESP) by just a few seconds out of the water, but then pulled away from all of his competition on the bike and cruised through the run to take the men’s title. Two-time 70.3 world champion and defending Ironman world champion Sebastian Kienle (GER) finished second, while Gomez, who had been sick earlier this week according to some reports, rounded out the top three. Canadian Cody Beals finished 21^st in the pro category (23^rd overall) in 4:09:34, while Taylor Reid pulled out of the race after a bike crash coming out of transition. “I am OK, bike is not,” he reported on twitter earlier today.

Women’s top 10 professionals:

Men’s top 10 professionals: