Previewing Sunday’s Ironman 70.3 Panama
McQuaid, and the Wurtele's represent the Canadian contingent.
Sunday’s Ironman 70.3 Panama won’t have same buzz as it had last year, thanks to the absence of a certain cyclist who returned to triathlon at this event, but one look at the list of professionals racing will tell you that there will be some exciting early season racing.
New Zealand’s Bevan Docherty returns to defend his title. To earn it back he’ll have to defeat the likes of Richie Cunningham, Dirk Bockel, Paul Ambrose, Paul Matthews, Romain Guillaume, and Canada’s Trevor Wurtele to name a few.
Second last year to Canada’s Angela Naeth, Kelly Williamson is back to make another run for the top spot. She too will face a stiff challenge from Jodie Swallow, Amy Marsh, Nina Kraft, and the Canadian duo of Heather Wurtele, and Melanie McQuaid. Victoria’s Sara Gross – who is featured in the most recent edition of Triathlon Magazine Canada – is no longer racing due to the flu.
Ironman.com will have athlete tracking on race day.
Related story: Naeth and Docherty win Ironman 70.3 Panama
Anticipated Professional Field
| Pro Men | Pro Women |
| 1 Bevan Docherty NZL
2 Richie Cunningham AUS 3 Andy Potts US 4 Dirk Bockel LUX 5 Paul Ambrose GBR 6 Paul Matthews AUS 7 Romain Guillaume FRA 8 Trevor Wurtele CAN 9 Balazs Csoke HUN 10 Fraser Cartmell GBR 11 Oscar Galindez ARG 12 Alessandro Degasperi ITA 13 Justin Daerr USA 14 Mike Hermanson USA 15 Carlos Quinchara Forero COL 16 Andres Darricau ARG 17 Mauro Cavanha BRA 18 Manuel Huerta PRI 19 Andres Castillo Latorre COL 20 Frank Silvestrin BRA 21 Brett Carter AUS 22 Igor Amorelli BRA 23 Leonardo Chacon CRI 24 Ciro Violin BRA 25 Felipe Van de Wyngard CHL |
30 Jodie Swallow GBR
31 Kelly Williamson USA 32 Heather Wurtele CAN 33 Meliane McQuaid CAN 34 Amy Marsh USA 35 Leslie LaMacchia USA 36 Mariana Andrade BRA 37 Sara Gross CAN 38 Margaret Shapiro USA 39 Terra Castro USA 40 Nina Kraft DEU 41 Ana Borba BRA 42 Camilla Pedersen DNK |