Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship: Internationals Looking to Topple the Australians

Two-time Ironman 70.3 World Champion Michael Raelert of Germany and New Zealander endurance superstar and New Zealand Ironman Champion Braden Currie are in town, fit, fired up and ready to do business.

The pair joins an elite field gathering for the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship Western Sydney this Sunday 26 November at the Sydney International Regatta Centre.

As the world record holder for the Ironman 70.3 distance (3:34:04), Raelert is no stranger to the podium and fans will be delighted that he will bring his version of speed to the speedy Penrith course.

“I’m looking forward to taking part in the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championships. This race is significant to me for several reasons. I had some health issues after taking the win at the Ironman 70.3 European Champs which forced me to downsize my training, and I had to withdraw from the inaugural Ironman Hamburg in August.”

“I am looking to get back on a track and regain my form, but the bonus of missing the European races is that I discovered some nice end of season races especially this one in Australia.”

“It was disappointing not being able to race in Hamburg and I also missed the Ironman 70.3 Worlds and the Ironman World Championships. It was not how I had planned it, but I am healthy again, and I have been in Thailand training under tough conditions and putting in some hard miles in. So I am ready to race.”

“This event is new to me and I am excited to think it will be really fast. I love that and I have had some really good results on fast courses over the years, worldwide and hopefully on Australian ground,” he said.

Braden Currie’s focus for the year was Ironman World Championship, but he is keen to head to Penrith to add some speed work to the final stages of his 2017 season.

“The Asia Pacific Champs provides a great opportunity to race the best in this region at 70.3 distance. It is always nice to race a high level of competition in your own backyard. I always enjoy racing in Australia, and I am looking forward to this event.”

“The highlight of my year was the six month lead into Kona. It was an incredible opportunity to dedicate everything towards one race and to have a streamlined periodised training program, where my training base and set up also allowed me to focus on all the little things that sometimes get left out when you are too busy travelling to races.

Although I didn’t have my day at Kona this year, I now have the confidence of what is possible, and I look forward to returning in 2018.”
“I raced Kona in mid-October and backed up at the XTERRA World Champs in Maui two weeks later. It is always a bit tricky coming off the back of an Ironman as you never really know how your body will pull up but I will be in form for this race with any luck.”

“I haven’t had a lot of opportunity to race 70.3 this year, and I enjoy a good hit out at the shorter distance. I will back up the Ironman Asia Pacific Championships with Ironman 70.3 Taupo. I can’t say no to a 70.3 in New Zealand and two weeks is normally enough time for me to recover so that it will be my last race of the season,” Currie said.