Ironman Triathlon : Tinley Favored as 1,250 Enter Tough Hawaiian Event
Scott Tinley, who since 1982 has finished second every year in the Ironman Triathlon, will have his chance to win the 140-mile swim-bike-run competition as he joins 1,250 other entrants this morning at the start in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
The 28-year-old athlete from San Diego has always been overshadowed by rival Dave Scott of Davis, Calif. Last year, Scott set the course record of 8 hours 54 minutes 20 seconds for the race--a 2.4-mile ocean swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run.
This year, however, Scott will not compete. The four-time winner will be on hand only as a television commentator.
Top entrants in the men’s field include Grant Boswell of Chico, Calif., who was third last year, and Marc Surenaut of Centerville, Mass.
Missing from the women’s competition will be the Puntous twins, Sylviane and Patricia, of Canada. They are known for finishing triathlons together, holding hands as they cross the finish line. Sylviane Puntous won the Ironman last year with a course record of 10:25:13, and Patricia was second.
The top women this year are Julie Olson of St. Cloud, Minn., who was third in 1984; Joanne Ernst of Palo Alto, fourth last year, and Julie Moss of Carlsbad, Calif., who is making a comeback. Moss was second in 1982. In a dramatic televised finish she crawled, exhausted, to the finish line, only to be passed in the final 10 feet by Kathleen McCartney.
Race organizers said that contestants from 43 states and 35 countries are entered in the ninth annual race. Competitors will splash into the Pacific Ocean at 7 a.m. today and have until midnight to complete the course.
The Hawaii race is considered one of the most challenging triathlons. Huge swells make the ocean swim difficult. High temperatures and equally high humidity give an advantage to athletes from warm climates. And, the annual Momomuku winds, which in the past have gusted to 60 m.p.h. during the race, have literally blown riders off their bikes every year.
Despite the odds, nearly 90% of those who start the race, finish it.
