Nicola Spirig wants to know one last time! “Sub8” is the name of her project and it’s getting closer and closer. On the upcoming Pentecost weekend, the two-time Olympic champion wants to smash the Ironman record and complete the mega triathlon in under eight hours. With the signs, it seems like an almost impossible project.
The good news: Spirig is fit again. In February, she fell during bike training, breaking her ribs and collarbone. She has been pain free for a month and a half. She was able to fully resume the tough training. Swimming, cycling, running – over and over again. The 2012 Olympic champion knows it well.
But 3.86 km swimming, 180.2 km cycling and 42.195 km running are a different caliber than the Olympic short distance. Even without the bad fall, the time between the Olympic Games and the mega-project would be short.
The fastest Ironman women
- Chrissie Wellington (Gb): 8:18,13
- Daniela Ryf (Sz): 8: 22.04
- Sara Svensk (Sd): 8: 22.41
- Lucy Charles-Barclay (Gb): 8:31,09
- Cross Friars Larralde (Sp): 8: 31,13
- Chrissie Wellington (Gb): 8:18,13
- Daniela Ryf (Sz): 8: 22.04
- Sara Svensk (Sd): 8: 22.41
- Lucy Charles-Barclay (Gb): 8:31,09
- Cross Friars Larralde (Sp): 8: 31,13
With Pacemaker it is possible
Is the record even possible? Coach Brett Sutton firmly believes it can be done with pacemakers. “The question is whether it is possible for me with this preparation. That’s difficult to answer.”
It will be a huge challenge – also for Überfrau Spirig. What’s more, she only competed in an Ironman eight years ago. Back then, she won in just over nine hours. The circumstances do not allow a dress rehearsal. “It would have been better for the body if I had done more Ironmans.” Now the disciplines are trained individually and then put together like pieces of a puzzle.
problem with the men
The ten pacemakers will therefore be decisive for Spirig. Putting the team together proved to be an additional hurdle. Because the 40-year-old was only allowed to vote for women. Organizer Chris McCormack worried that this could be misinterpreted by feminists. Instead, women should accomplish the task together.
Spirig also sees the project as an opportunity to inspire young people. But she refused the first request. She was in the middle of preparing for the Olympics, plus the Ironman isn’t her distance. “But if I can use it to get other people to pursue their impossible goals, then this is an exciting project,” she thought to herself.
If the conditions are good, the race will take place on Sunday, June 5th (alternatively on the following Monday). It seems like a mission virtually impossible. But if anyone can do it, it’s Nicola Spirig.