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The symmetry seems almost uncanny.
In the week that three-time winner Peter Reid was inducted into the Ironman Hawaii world championship Hall of Fame (he is already enshrined in the Victoria, sa国际传媒 and Canadian sports halls of fame), another Island racer could be leaving his calling card on the podium in Kona.
Brent McMahon of Victoria is ranked No. 3 for today鈥檚 2016 Ironman Hawaii world championship. Recording the third-fastest time in history, in May at Ironman Brazil, will do that for your reputation.
鈥淚 have the ability to win this race,鈥� McMahon said from Kona.
鈥淚 feel great and relaxed and ready to race. But I know this is a tough mental race. There are two challenges. The first is the conditions, which can change in a moment with the heat and wind. The other is that you are facing the best racers in the world.鈥�
That鈥檚 why they describe Ironman Hawaii as the Super Bowl of triathlon.
Reid won it in 2003, 2000 and 1998 and was runner-up in 2004, 2002 and 1999.
鈥淸Reid鈥檚] career was inspiring to me,鈥� McMahon said. 鈥淚t really motivated and inspired other Canadian triathletes.鈥�
So did Simon Whitfield, another Victoria triathlete, and Olympic gold medallist at Sydney 2000 and silver medallist at Beijing 2008.
McMahon was a two-time Olympian over the shorter distance of triathlon before switching to Ironman and 70.3 (formerly the Half Iron). So, in many ways, McMahon has spent his career trying to run out from under the lengthy shadows of Reid and Whitfield.
But McMahon has always been his own man, his own athlete. He is finally getting the attention he deserves because of his blockbuster third-best all-time clocking of seven hours, 46 minutes, 10 seconds over the 3.8K swim, 180.2K bike race and 42.2K run Ironman distance in Brazil in May. And he is ready for the attention. 鈥淚鈥檝e been in enough races in my career that I鈥檝e learned how to deal with all sorts of media,鈥� McMahon said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 take it as pressure. It鈥檚 more just affirmation for what I have done this year.鈥�
Besides the landmark result in Ironman Brazil, this season the Islander was also fifth in the North American 70.3 pro championship, eighth at Ironman 70.3 Philippines and 14th in the 70.3 world championships in Australia.
The favourites today in Ironman Hawaii are the 1-2 ranked Jan Frodeno, the defending champion, and Sebastian Kienle, both from Germany.
Frodeno went from edging Whitfield for gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to winning both Ironman Hawaii and the 70.3 world championship.
