Two Timing Gina and Patrick – Politics and Pacing
The sixth and final incarnation of Ironman WA, or Busso as it’s affectionately known, under the IMG regime has been run and won by two champion athletes – Gina Crawford (nee Ferguson, NZ) and Patrick Vernay (New Caledonia), each for the second time.
To describe the day as a test of endurance is always an understatement where iron distance is involved, but it’s more apt than for most previous editions seen at Busselton. In perhaps the toughest conditions since 2005 (due to wind and heat, rather than wind and rain), Vernay astonished with a blistering 2:47 marathon. And Crawford consistently plied her trades of swim, bike and run, for narrow, yet convincing wins.
IMG director Dallas O’Brien looked for all money like a modern day male Mona Lisa (a hint of a smile and frown) expressing both pride and more than a little disappointment as he addressed the award ceremony for the final time. It was a perfect Sunday night on the Busselton foreshore for the ceremony and his description of the event as a resounding success had been bourn out by: an increase in participation (more than 1300 competitors for 2009); the consistent fast racing on-course for each edition; and WTC’s insistence of taking back the licence for both IMWA and Ironman Australia. Busso will most likely be run by a similar team in 2010 (minus the IMG moniker, plenty of familiar faces) and continue to be heavily backed by Eventscorp WA, which virtually guarantees Ironman West Australia for many years to come. To condense the position into Rudd-like weasel words: “Is it safe for many years? Well, let me say this, the fate of Busselton is far clearer than that of it’s sister race at Port Macquarie.”
Luckily the day’s racing held less turbidity than the future and politics of Australia’s M-dot races. As with each morning on race week, a light breeze and cool temperatures met athletes as they plunged into Geographe bay for a warm up. Chilly to dip in at 20.5 degrees celsius, the relief of using wetsuits in the brine would be but a faint memory for those copping mid-30’s on the bike and run!
The water was flat at the neck of the jetty, where two escapees (Scottish Neyedli and South African Van Lingen) made an early break for the glory of a prime. Nestled into a chase pack was every pre-race favourite (reigning champ Berkel, previous winner Vernay, Marr, Ogden and White), bar one – the stalwart Shortis (duel champion and course record holder with 8:03). Shorto missed a can on the return to shore and paid a heavy penalty for his indiscretion, exiting in a lacklustre 55 minutes – seven behind a pack that would swell to 12 midway through lap one on the bike.
