Croneborg and Riesler are among over 1,800 athletes that are expected to compete for IRONMAN Malaysia and IRONMAN 70.3 Langkawi this coming 11 November 2017. More than 70% of registered athletes are coming from over 50 different countries. The Top 4 countries are Japan, Singapore, Australia and Philippines.
Top Contenders
Fredrik Croneborg won his first IRONMAN race in Malaysia last year with a time of 8:39:12. This year, the 36-year-old Swedish triathlete hopes to keep the trophy again. Croneborg said,
IRONMAN Malaysia is my favorite race. I’ve raced all around the world but Malaysia is where I perform at my best and it feels special because I got my first IRONMAN win here. Langkawi is also one of the nicest destination for holidays and I will keep coming back, even after my racing career. Starting as a defending champion, it’s impossible to improve my ranking, but I feel better prepared this year. I hope I can improve my timing from last year and hopefully retain my title.
Diana Riesler is the unbeatable contender in the female category. Having won three previous editions of IRONMAN Malaysia in 2014, 2015 and 2016, this German athlete hopes to continue her winning streaks this year. Riesler said,
IRONMAN Langkawi was my first ever IRONMAN race in 2008 as an amateur and I promised myself to come back to race again here as a professional. I returned in 2014 as a professional athlete and bagged my first IRONMAN win. The tropical climate and the hospitality of local supporters make it really special. I’m excited to race in Langkawi again and fight for another win on November 11.
Road to IRONMAN World Championship
The 2017 IRONMAN Malaysia will offer 50 age-group qualifying slots for the 2018 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States of America.
Meanwhile, the 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 Langkawi will be an age group race only, offering 30 qualifying slots for the 2018 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa.
Both the 2017 IRONMAN Malaysia and 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 Langkawi races are part of the 2018 Asia TriClub Qualifier Series.
IRONKIDS
The IRONKIDS race will be held on 10 November 2017 for kids aged between 4 and 17. They will be taking part in 3 distances; 500m, 1km and 1.5km dash along Cenang Beach. The IRONMAN finisher’s arch allows kids to experience crossing the same finish line as their heroes at the Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa.
Expo
The IRONMAN Sports and Lifestyle Expo will take place from 8 to 12 November 2017 at Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre (MIEC). The Expo will feature sports and lifestyle exhibitors as well as the IRONMAN official merchandise.
Geoff Meyer, Asia Managing Director for IRONMAN, said,
We are delighted to have our two defending champions Fredrik Croneborg and Diana Riesler back to Langkawi this year. They are both exceptional triathletes and an inspiration for all the age-group athletes who will be racing here on 11 November. The amazing response from the IRONMAN community shows that Langkawi is one of the preferred locations to race and we are looking forward to another great race this year.
