Race Coverage

Champion For a Little While...

Sunday, 04 August 2019 23:10

GRANITEMAN BIG LAKE OLYMPIC - For two minutes and twenty-five seconds, RYAN COLLISON was a repeat champion. His time--2:09:32--was more than six minutes faster than last year, though in fairness, the weather last Saturday was far more accommodating than in 2018.

But that knowledge wasn't quite enough to make him comfortable. He'd outswam, though not by much, and outrode rather significantly, the man he feared most.

His rival, however, was a faster runner...

Would that rival, who started in wave 2, three minutes after Collison, erased all the deficits during the 10K run?

Yes.

MOSHI PERI, 2018 Turtleman winner and Big Lake co-favorite, was able rob Ryan of a repeat win, thanks not only to a faster run split, but quicker transitions. Peri's final time was 2:08:57. his margin of victory was 25 seconds.

JASON LIEBSCH claimed the final men's podium spot, though only by one second. Wave 2 athlete KORTNEY HAAG just missed the overall podium, though her 2:12:45, bettered her 2017 women's course record by 24 seconds. The win was her 2nd in six days and 22nd of her stellar triathlon career. Now 40, Haag's time lowered Big Lake's Masters record by almost ten minutes.

While the men's race was close, the women's was not. However, EMILY GAGE's second place 2:20:12 was a remarkable Olympic debut. Few women's break 2:20 on their first try. By comparison, Haag, whose Olympic personal best is 2:08, turned in a 2:41 on her first attempt.

Claiming 3rd in a similarly fine performance was OLIVIA BERG, her 2:22:11, according to our records, is her Olympic PR. Being on the doorstep of a sub-2:20 is a big deal. Breaking that time puts one on the road to regional elite status.

Kortney Haag was not the only AG (40-44W) record-setter last Saturday. RANDY PETERSON, 53, placed 5th overall, and lowered the men's 50-54 AGR from 2:18:18 to 2:14:36. In four starts this season, Peterson has four divisional wins, two in record time.

More than 300 athletes enrolled in the Big Lake events, approximately a third of which did the Olympic race. RESULTS

Coverage of the Big Lake Sprint will post soon.