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Jackson Laundry and Jeanni Metzler take big wins at Ironman 70.3 Michigan

Olympic hopefuls turn their sights on long-distance racing

Photo by: file photo by Jordan Bryden

For the men’s champion it was a blistering bike split, for the women’s winner the impressive time came on the run. Canadian Jackson Laundry rode a 1:55:55 split to overcome a big swim deficit and get himself onto the run course just under a minute ahead his competition on his way to an impressive defence of his title. American (formerly South African) Jeanni Metzler was over three minutes down at the end of the bike but had run herself into the lead by the halfway point as she charged to the women’s title.

Harper flies through the swim

Greg Harper, the son of former pro Dean Harper and a former Olympic Swimming Trials qualifier, blasted through the swim in 22:03, almost a minute up on a group led by Canada’s Matthew Sharpe that included American’s Ben Kanute, Justin Riele and Matt McElroy, who was an alternate for the Tokyo Olympics and came very close to being named for this year’s American team.

McElroy led the chasers out of T1, but it was Laundry, who had trailed by about two minutes as he got on the bike, who would be the big mover during the second leg of the race. Through 30 km the Canadian was a minute behind Kanute and Riele, and by 77 km Laundry was in front. Over the last 13 km of the ride Laundry would open up a lead of about a minute on the two Americans. (It appears that McElroy pulled out during the bike due to health issues.)

Once out on the run course Laundry continued to open up space between himself and the chasers, finishing the run with a 1:15:21 split and 3:39:09 finish time that put him almost two minutes ahead of Kanute (3:41:07). Sharpe would run his way from sixth off the bike to the final spot on the podium (3:45:23), with Riele finishing up fourth in 3:46:32.

Metzler runs to the win

Tokyo Olympian Summer Rappaport made her long-distance debut in style by leading the women out of the water. The American was a minute up on countrywomen Hannah Sakaluk and Grace Alexander, with Metzler hitting T1 in sixth place, two minutes down.

It was American Lisa Becharas, who was 3:34 down after the swim, who was the strongest on the bike – by 31 km she was in front, almost 40 seconds ahead of a group that included Rappaport, Metzler, Gabrielle Lumkes (USA) and Alexander.

By the end of the bike Becharas was over two minutes up on American Adele Likin, with Metzler just over three minutes down and Alexander at 3:46 behind. Initially Becharas looked like she might have the day in hand as she initially opened up some more time on the women behind, but it wasn’t long before Metzler and Lakin were moving toward the front of the race. Metzler was in front by the halfway point of the run, and a kilometre later Likin was in second. Just passed the 17 km point Alexander also got past Becharas, too.

The order stayed the same from there on in as Metzler took the win in 4:11:31 thanks to the day’s fastest run (1:23:46). Likin crossed in 4:12:39 to Alexander’s 4:16:07, with Becharas (4:17:33) holding off Rappaport (4:19:07).