Van Coevorden and Geens Triumph Amid Broadcast Chaos at Ironman Pro Series Opener
Technical issues caused broadcasting outage while pros battled it out behind the scenes
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That Cameraman. Jelle Geens wins 2024 T100 Vegas.
The 2025 Ironman Pro Series got off to an unexpectedly frustrating start at 70.3 Geelong this past weekend. Technical difficulties prevented almost the entire live broadcast of the season opener. Viewers were left in the dark as an internet outage at the production hub prevented video or audio signals from being transmitted.
It was a disappointing start for the much-anticipated 18-race Pro Series, which offers $1.7 million in end-of-season bonus payouts and aims to bring a more structured, high-stakes competition to long-course triathlon. With the PTO’s T100 Triathlon World Tour already raising the bar for broadcast coverage, the failure to deliver live footage in Geelong puts early pressure on Ironman to ensure future races go smoothly.
But while the cameras may have missed it, the racing itself didn’t disappoint. Natalie Van Coevorden and Jelle Geens took commanding victories in the women’s and men’s races, setting the tone for what promises to be a fiercely competitive season.
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Van Coevorden Triumphs in Breakthrough 70.3 Victory
Australia’s Natalie Van Coevorden celebrated a career-first Ironman 70.3 victory, holding off New Zealand’s Hannah Berry and Australia’s Grace Thek who finished behind her in second and third.
The Paris 2024 Olympian almost didn’t start the race, admitting that she woke up feeling unwell and had doubts about whether to compete. Her coach and family nudged her to the start line, for a surprising outcome.
Van Coevorden led out of the swim, establishing a 10-second advantage over the chase pack. Midway through the bike, a front group of five had formed, consisting of Van Coevorden, Australia’s Regan Hollioake, and the New Zealand trio of Berry, Teresa Adam, and Hannah Knighton.
By T2, four of them remained in contention, with Berry making the first move on the run. Van Coevorden stayed focused and was able to close the gap at 8km, taking charge for the win by 29 seconds.
After years of focusing on short-course racing, Van Coevorden has dipped her toe into long-distance in the past, finishing second at 70.3 Bahrain and Melbourne. It was the first time she took top stop at the distance in an impressive season opener.
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Geens Proves His Class in Men’s Race
On the men’s side, Belgium’s Jelle Geens showcased why he is the reigning Ironman 70.3 World Champion, showcasing his authority on the race with a devastating run split.
The swim was close, with no fewer than 13 athletes emerging from the water tightly together, led by Australia’s Josh Ferris and short-course star Matt Hauser.
The bike leg saw a big pack with 20 athletes still within a minute of each other at the halfway point. By T2, the front pack was down to a group of 10 riders, with local hope Ben Hill leading the charge into transition.
But once on the run, it was Geens’ time to take control. By the halfway mark he was fully in control, with Japan’s Kenji Nener hanging on for dear life.
Geens kept the competition at bay and made it over the line first with the fastest run on the day. Australia’s Jake Birtwhistle finished second and New Zealand’s Tayler Reid rounded out the podium in third.
Mechanical Woes for Cameron Wurf
Never a dull moment with Cameron Wurf, he ended up having an unfortunate mechanical failure, leaving him stuck in a single gear for the entire bike leg.
The Australian revealed post-race that his electronic shifting failed before the start, leaving him stuck in a gears. Despite the setback, Wurf still completed the race, saying he used it as a training session for future Pro Series events, he said.
Wurf did have a breakthrough swim, exiting the water only 30 sec behind the front pack. It was a win for Wurf who has been working on improving his swim for this season.