1500 of them left happy at 6:30 in the morning for a day where all would become heroes. They all finished just as happy but suffering. It was hot… Very hot. Too hot for some. During the 3.8 km swim in the Mediterranean, the 180 km cycling in the Nice hinterland and the 42.195 km running on the Promenade des Anglais, none of the participants cheated. All suffered. From first to last, they deserved the applause of 60,000 spectators.
Marcel Zamora completed the event in 8h38min45sec. He did not beat his record from last year (8h33min). He crossed the finish line radiant, showed off in the arrival area and threw himself into his girlfriend’s arms. He confided, barely out of breath: “I came to win, that was my only objective. Beating my record would have been a bonus. That’s not the case but I’m not disappointed.” The Barcelonan managed his effort well. He exited the water in 6th position, laid down his bike in second place behind René Rovera and let loose during the marathon. Six minutes after his arrival, his runner-up Gilles Reboul finishes his race. He gave his all. He recounts his suffering and his race: “the last laps on foot I was struggling. My body couldn’t keep up. I even threw up a bit. I have no regrets, I gave my all.” Fair-play, he admits the winner’s superiority: “I’m very proud of second place in such a competition. The Spaniard proved once again that he was the strongest.” Gilles Reboul made the same gestures as the Catalan. The same joy. The same kiss with his girlfriend. After the effort, comfort. Each competitor, upon arrival, seeks a loved one, arms, kind words, a bottle of water. A few minutes later, waiting to be massaged, they cool off in the Albert 1st Garden pool.
Alexandra Louison impresses. She radiates joy of life. She is a “scale model” athlete. Above all, she is an extraordinary sportswoman. Last week, she participated in the European Triathlon Championship and here in Nice, for her third Ironman of her young career, not only does she win it but she also breaks the competition record in 9h49min11sec, seven minutes better than Edith Niederfriniger winner in 2006.
The event mixes amateurs and professionals. This creates astonishing scenes. In the morning, for the swim, the first ones mount their bikes while the last ones have not yet completed their first of two swimming laps. In the afternoon, there is the same time lag. When Marcel Zamora raises his arms, many participants are still on their bikes and still have to run the Marathon. But the story of this third Ironman of Nice will note that fourth, and not far from the podium, is Bruno Clerbout, a Belgian amateur. There was also enthusiasm at seeing a one-legged participant. In Ironmans, there are feats at every meter. And feats have always moved crowds. This is the main recipe for the success of this competition.
Results
Men:
1. Marcel ZAMORA PEREZ 8:38:45 2. Gilles REBOUL 8:44:01 3. Patrick BRINGER 8:46:09 4. Bruno CLERBOUT 8:46:30 5. Daniel MÜLLER 8:56:00 6. Marcus ORNELLAS 8:59:38 7. Xavier DIEPART 9:23:37 8. Alain VERVOORT 9:24:00 9. Wim VAN DE WIELLE 9:28:25 10. Rodolphe CHAZAL 9:28:37
Women:
1. Alexandra LOUISON 9:49:11 2. Kathrin PAETZOLD 9:53:05 3. Tine TRETNER 9:57:25 4. Virginia BERASATEGUI 10:07:24 5. Marilyn MACDONALD 10:15:23 6. Ladislava CISAROVSKA 10:17:35 7. Françoise WELLEKENS 10:25:54 8. Michaela SCHNECK 10:29:46 9. Fiona FORD 10:32:21 10. Aline CHORETIER 10:39:15
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