Ironman South Africa in Port Elizabeth-Baldwin wins 18-24 age group, qualifies for World Championship |12 April 2011

It was a fantastic day for Baldwin as he not only won his age group but also clocked a personal best (PB) time of 9 hours 27 minutes 56 seconds (9h27:56) in the triathlon held at the Nelson Mandela Bay in Port Elizabeth.

“By winning my age-group, I have once again qualified for the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii on October 8, 2011, where 1,800 of the world’s best long distance triathletes will compete for the 18-24 age-group world champion title,” he told Sports Nation after his win.

Baldwin’s split times in Port Elizabeth were: 2.4-mile (3.8km) swim: 1h03:44 (average 1m40s/100m) , 112-mile (180km) cycle 4h55:17 (average 36.58 km/h) and 26.2-mile (42.2km) run 3h24:53 (average 4m51m/km). His transition times were 1:02.04 (from swimming to cycling) and 2:01.58 (from cycling to running).

The 22-year-old’s previous PB was 9h31:33 and he got it at last year’s Ironman Austria when he won the 18-24 age group category comprising 50 athletes with split times of 2.4-mile (3.8km) swim: 1h00:34 (average 1m35s/100m), 112-mile (180km) cycle 4h58:31 (average 36.18 km/ph) and 26.2-mile (42.2km) run 3h26:11 (average 4m53s/km).

Other than winning the 18-24 age group in Port Elizabeth, Baldwin was ranked 29th out of 1,745 competitors overall and fourth among the amateurs.

“Finishing 29th overall is by far the most impressive result I have achieved. I also finished ahead of many professional athletes.

“Being fourth amateur overall is also a huge improvement on any previous Ironman results I have achieved. I’m also glad to have achieved a bike split PB, run split PB and finish time PB,” added the young athlete.

Second and third behind Baldwin in the 18-24 class were Benedikt Ebenbichler with 9h55:24 and Ryan Naude with 9h55:50.

Baldwin, whose dream is to be the 18-24 age group world champion in 2012, will be making his second appearance at the World Championship in Hawaii after finishing 10th out of 38 in the 18-24 age group with 9h42:41 in his debut last year.

Meanwhile, South African Raynard Tissink successfully defended his men’s open title and Ironwoman Chrissie Wellington of England took the women’s title.

With a phenomenal performance, Wellington smashed the course, bike and run records and also broke her own world Ironwoman record with a winning time of 8h33:56.

Her compatriot Rachel Joyce was second in 9h08:23 and German Diana Riesler completed the podium with 9h20:37.

South African Tissink won the men’s open category, breaking the tape first in 8h05:36 to relegate German Andreas Böcherer (8h08.36) and fellow South African James Cunnama (8h13:18) into second and third positions.

G. G.