Olympians storm to wins at Ironman 70.3 Indian Wells
Morgan Pearson and Claire Michel took home convincing victories in the California desert on Sunday
Photo by:
ITU/ Wagner Araujo
A pair of Olympians took the top spots at Ironman 70.3 Indian Wells on Sunday, both showcasing their short-course speed to earn the victories. American Morgan Pearson won the race in exciting fashion, coming from behind with a stellar run, while Belgium’s Claire Michel also used a great final leg to steal the win and spoil what would have been an all-American podium in the women’s race. The race doubled as Pearson’s debut 70.3 and Michel’s farewell from professional triathlon.
The perfect send-off
Professional athletes dream of winning their final game, match, or race before retirement, but very few of them actually get to make that a reality. Michel—a three-time Olympian—did just that, piecing together a fairytale ending with a tremendous swim, bike, and run showing on Sunday.
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Michel exited the water 10 seconds back of the leader, but she found her way to the front of the race on the bike. She couldn’t hold onto that lead, however, and she entered T2 with a 30-second deficit to American Rachel Zilinskas. Another American, Erika Ackerlund, was right with Michel as they set off onto the run course, but it didn’t take long for the Belgian to power away from her and past Zilinskas.
With a 1:22:08 half-marathon, Michel posted the fastest run of the day to take the win in 4:10:59 and wrap up her career in the best way possible. Ackerlund finished in second and Annamarie Strehlow, yet another American, crossed the line in third.
A great debut
Pearson has had a fantastic career in the draft-legal world, including a pair of Olympic silver medals from Tokyo and Paris in the mixed relay. While he had never ventured into the world of 70.3 racing before Sunday, he had run several half-marathons before, with a remarkable PB of 1:01:08 from the Valencia Half back in October. (Pearson’s PB places him at 16th all-time among American runners in the half-marathon.)
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Although he is a phenomenal runner, Pearson doesn’t rely on his running abilities to find success in triathlon. He was second out of the water on Sunday, just two seconds behind Norway’s Vetle Bergsvik Thorn. He had a solid ride, but more experienced 70.3 racers caught and passed him over the 90-kilometre bike leg. As he headed into T2, Pearson was more than three minutes back of the lead.
He had to work hard for the win, but no one else in contention for the win could match his blistering run pace. Pearson posted a 1:10:08 half-marathon to cruise to the victory in his 70.3 debut, stopping the clock for an overall time of 3:42:26. He beat his fellow American Matt McElroy by a minute and a half, and Greece’s Louis Woodgate rounded out the podium in third.