# 2011 Ironman 70.3 World Championship

The 2011 Ironman 70.3 World Championship was a triathlon competition that was held at Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nevada on September 11, 2011. It was sponsored by the United States Marine Corps and organized by the World Triathlon Corporation. The championship race was the culmination of the Ironman 70.3 series of events that occurred from October 1, 2010 to August 15, 2011. Athletes, both professional and amateur, earned a spot in the championship race by qualifying in races throughout the 70.3 series. The 2011 Championship marked the first year that the race was not held in Clearwater, Florida, which had hosted the race since its inception in 2006.

## Medallists
### Men

| Pos. | Time (h:mm:ss) | Name | Country | Split times (h:mm:ss) | Split times (h:mm:ss) | Split times (h:mm:ss) | Split times (h:mm:ss) | Split times (h:mm:ss) |
| Pos. | Time (h:mm:ss) | Name | Country | Swim | T1 | Bike | T2 | Run |
| | 3:54:48 | Craig Alexander | Australia | 24:45 | 2:34 | 2:14:47 | 0:53 | 1:11:51 |
| | 3:58:03 | Chris Lieto | United States | 24:51 | 2:31 | 2:10:36 | 1:11 | 1:18:56 |
| | 3:58:42 | Jeff Symonds | Canada | 24:47 | 2:27 | 2:16:55 | 1:01 | 1:13:33 |
| 4 | 3:59:11 | Michael Weiss | Austria | 27:57 | 2:51 | 2:12:58 | 1:17 | 1:14:10 |
| 5 | 4:00:00 | Joe Gambles | Australia | 24:45 | 2:30 | 2:15:09 | 0:48 | 1:16:50 |
| 6 | 4:00:26 | Paul Matthews | Australia | 24:27 | 2:12 | 2:15:45 | 0:52 | 1:17:13 |
| 7 | 4:00:53 | Raynard Tissink | South Africa | 24:57 | 2:28 | 2:17:32 | 1:08 | 1:14:51 |
| 8 | 4:02:01 | Tim Berkel | Australia | 26:33 | 2:37 | 2:14:44 | 1:05 | 1:17:04 |
| 9 | 4:04:03 | Luke Bell | United States | 24:53 | 2:24 | 2:15:15 | 1:14 | 1:20:19 |
| 10 | 4:05:09 | Alessandro Degasperi | Italy | 25:23 | 2:19 | 2:16:29 | 1:00 | 1:19:59 |
| Source: |||||||||

### Women

| Pos. | Time (h:mm:ss) | Name | Country | Split times (h:mm:ss) | Split times (h:mm:ss) | Split times (h:mm:ss) | Split times (h:mm:ss) | Split times (h:mm:ss) |
| Pos. | Time (h:mm:ss) | Name | Country | Swim | T1 | Bike | T2 | Run |
| | 4:20:55 | Melissa Rollison | Australia | 28:27 | 2:29 | 2:27:58 | 0:49 | 1:21:14 |
| | 4:26:52 | Karin Thürig | Switzerland | 33:01 | 3:11 | 2:24:05 | 1:22 | 1:25:15 |
| | 4:29:25 | Linsey Corbin | United States | 29:19 | 2:38 | 2:31:08 | 0:58 | 1:25:24 |
| 4 | 4:30:21 | Heather Jackson | United States | 29:31 | 2:27 | 2:33:06 | 0:50 | 1:24:27 |
| 5 | 4:33:08 | Joanna Lawn | New Zealand | 27:59 | 2:50 | 2:33:52 | 1:07 | 1:27:22 |
| 6 | 4:33:57 | Leanda Cave | United States | 25:40 | 2:30 | 2:36:29 | 0:58 | 1:28:22 |
| 7 | 4:35:36 | Heather Wurtele | Canada | 27:28 | 2:45 | 2:33:47 | 1:11 | 1:30:26 |
| 8 | 4:36:14 | Emma-Kate Lidbury | Great Britain | 26:29 | 2:37 | 2:38:57 | 1:12 | 1:27:01 |
| 9 | 4:36:52 | Christie Sym | Australia | 29:17 | 2:33 | 2:32:19 | 0:56 | 1:31:48 |
| 10 | 4:37:03 | Michelle Wu | Australia | 28:04 | 2:50 | 2:38:15 | 1:01 | 1:26:56 |
| Source: |||||||||

## Qualification

The 2011 Ironman 70.3 Series featured 38 events that enabled qualification to the 2011 World Championship event. Professional triathletes qualified for the championship race by competing in races during the qualifying year, earning points towards their pro rankings. An athlete’s five highest scoring races are counted toward their pro rankings. The top 50 males and top 30 females in the pro rankings qualified for the championship race.
Amateur triathletes could also qualify for the championship race by earning a qualifying slot at one of the qualifying events or through the Physically Challenged Lottery. Slots were allocated to each age group category, male and female, with the number of slots given out based on that category's proportional representation of the overall field. Each age group category was assured one qualifying spot at each qualifying event. Some 70.3 events also serve as qualifiers for the full Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.
While the 70.3 Series continued its gradual expansion in 2011, with the number of qualifying races the overall number of qualifiers remained the same from the previous year. This was due to the Championship event being moved up from its previous November slot on the calendar to September causing many of the new and previously established events to instead act as qualifiers for the 2012 Championship race. Those new events added as part of the 2011 series include races in Busselton, Western Australia; Port Macquarie, New South Wales; Pescara, Italy; Mallorca, Spain; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Miami; Jeju, South Korea; and Muncie, Indiana as well as the Asia-Pacific Championship in Phuket.

### Qualifying Ironman 70.3s

| Date | Event | Location |
| Oct 17, 2010 | Ironman 70.3 Austin | Austin, Texas, United States |
| Oct 30, 2010 | Ironman Miami 70.3 | Miami, Florida, United States |
| Nov 13, 2010 | Foster Grant Ironman 70.3 World Championship | Clearwater, Florida, United States |
| Dec 5, 2010 | Asia-Pacific Championship 70.3 | Phuket, Thailand |
| Jan 16, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 Pucón | Pucón, Chile |
| Jan 23, 2011 | Spec-Savers Ironman 70.3 South Africa | Buffalo City, South Africa |
| Mar 19, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 San Juan | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Mar 20, 2011 | Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore | Singapore |
| Apr 2, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 California$^†$ | Oceanside, California, United States |
| Apr 10, 2011 | Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas | Galveston Island, Texas, United States |
| Apr 17, 2011 | Ochsner Ironman 70.3 New Orleans | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States |
| May 1, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie | Port Macquarie, New South Wales |
| May 1, 2011 | St. Croix Ironman 70.3$^†$ | St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, United States |
| May 7, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 Busselton | Busselton, Western Australia |
| May 14, 2011 | Thomas Cook Ironman 70.3 Mallorca | Alcudia, Mallorca, Spain |
| May 15, 2011 | Rohto Ironman 70.3 Florida | Orlando, Florida, United States |
| May 22, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 Austria | St. Pölten/Vienna, Austria |
| Jun 4, 2011 | Rohto Ironman 70.3 Hawaii$^†$ | Kohala, Hawaii, United States |
| Jun 5, 2011 | PowerBar Ironman 70.3 Switzerland | Rapperswil-Jona, Lake Zurich, Switzerland |
| Jun 5, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 Mooseman | Newfound Lake, New Hampshire, United States |
| Jun 11, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 Boise | Boise, Idaho, United States |
| Jun 12, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 Italy | Pescara, Italy |
| Jun 12, 2011 | Eagleman Ironman 70.3$^†$ | Cambridge, Maryland, United States |
| Jun 12, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 Kansas | Lawrence, Kansas, United States |
| Jun 19, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 U.K. | Wimbleball, Exmoor, UK |
| Jun 26, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake$^{†∗}$ | Lubbock, Texas, United States |
| Jul 3, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 Korea | Jeju, South Korea |
| Jul 9, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 Muncie | Muncie, Indiana, United States |
| Jul 10, 2011 | Amica Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island | Providence, Rhode Island, United States |
| Jul 17, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 Racine | Racine, Wisconsin, United States |
| Jul 17, 2011 | Vineman Ironman 70.3 | Sonoma County, California, United States |
| Jul 24, 2011 | Antwerp Ironman 70.3$^‡$ | Antwerp, Belgium |
| Jul 31, 2011 | Viterra Ironman 70.3 Calgary | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Aug 7, 2011 | Rohto Ironman 70.3 Boulder | Boulder, Colorado, United States |
| Aug 14, 2011 | Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines | Camarines Sur, Philippines |
| Aug 14, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 European Championship | Wiesbaden/Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, Germany |
| Aug 14, 2011 | Whirlpool Ironman 70.3 Steelhead | Benton Harbor, Michigan, United States |
| Aug 14, 2011 | Ironman 70.3 Lake Stevens | Lake Stevens, WA, United States |
$^†$Also serves as a 2011 Ironman World Championship qualifier. $^‡$Also serves as a 2011 Ironman World Championship qualifier, handcycle entry only. $^∗$Ironman 70.3 U.S. Handcycle Championship

#### China cancellation

On May 12, 2011, the WTC announced that the 2011 Ironman China and Ironman 70.3 China races, scheduled for May 29 in Jixian, Tianjin Province, China, were canceled. The Tianjin Sports Bureau (TSB) was unable to obtain the required sanctions from the China Triathlon Sports Association (CTSA) to conduct the event. Murphy Reinschreiber, managing director of the Asia Pacific region for WTC stated that "TSB simply failed to provide all of the documentation necessary for CTSA to process the sanction." WTC is offering a full refund of entry fees to all athletes who were scheduled to compete at Ironman China and Ironman 70.3 China. Additionally, all athletes were offered a complimentary race entry into any of the 2011 Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races. WTC is allocating the age group qualifying slots from Ironman China and Ironman 70.3 China to other races in the region to ensure that athletes from the Asia-Pacific region are represented at the 2011 World Championship events.

### 2011 Ironman 70.3 Series results
#### Men

| Event | Gold | Time | Silver | Time | Bronze | Time |
| Austin | James Cunnama (RSA) | 3:53:57 | Marko Albert (EST) | 3:55:06 | Richie Cunningham (AUS) | 3:57:04 |
| Miami | Sylvain Sudrie (FRA) | 4:00:41 | Paul Amey (GBR) | 4:02:47 | Oscar Galíndez (ARG) | 4:05:38 |
| Clearwater | Michael Raelert (GER) | 3:41:19 | Filip Ospalý (CZE) | 3:42:56 | Timothy O'Donnell (USA) | 3:44:18 |
| Phuket | Timothy O'Donnell (USA) | 3:59:42 | Massimo Cigana (ITA) | 4:01:52 | Hideo Fukui (JPN) | 4:04:00 |
| Pucón | Daniel Fontana (ITA) | 3:52:59 | Reinaldo Colucci (BRA) | 3:56:24 | Oscar Galíndez (ARG) | 3:57:17 |
| South Africa | Frederik Van Lierde (BEL) | 4:06:30 | James Cunnama (RSA) | 4:08:41 | Alessandro Degasperi (ITA) | 4:15:16 |
| San Juan | Timothy O'Donnell (USA) | 3:49:29 | Paul Amey (GBR) | 3:52:37 | Luke McKenzie (AUS) | 3:56:57 |
| Singapore | Kris Gemmell (NZL) | 3:50:56 | James Cunnama (RSA) | 3:50:55 | Pete Jacobs (AUS) | 3:54:25 |
| California | Andy Potts (USA) | 3:55:49 | Rasmus Henning (DEN) | 3:56:07 | Michael Weiss (AUT) | 3:56:29 |
| Texas | Chris Lieto (USA) | 3:45:37 | Rasmus Henning (DEN) | 3:46:47 | Timothy O'Donnell (USA) | 3:48:16 |
| New Orleans$^∗$ | Sebastian Kienle (GER) | 3:18:08 | Paul Amey (GBR) | 3:23:08 | Paul Matthews (AUS) | 3:25:24 |
| Port Macquarie | Joe Gambles (AUS) | 3:58:15 | Tim Berkel (AUS) | 4:01:40 | Cameron Brown (NZL) | 4:03:22 |
| St. Croix | Maksym Kriat (UKR) | 4:11:43 | Luke Bell (AUS) | 4:11:59 | Richie Cunningham (AUS) | 4:15:50 |
| Busselton | Tim Berkel (AUS) | 3:51:27 | Matty White (AUS) | 3:52:50 | Tim Reed (AUS) | 3:53:59 |
| Mallorca | Andreas Raelert (GER) | 3:53:07 | Bertrand Billard (FRA) | 3:56:56 | Sylvain Sudrie (FRA) | 3:59:00 |
| Florida | Andy Potts (USA) | 3:53:14 | Maxim Kriat (UKR) | 3:57:10 | David Kahn (USA) | 3:58:13 |
| Austria | Filip Ospalý (CZE) | 3:55:27 | Michael Weiss (AUT) | 3:56:01 | Paul Amey (GBR) | 3:57:01 |
| Hawaii | Luke Bell (AUS) | 3:58:14 | Chris Lieto (USA) | 4:01:32 | Matt Lieto (USA) | 4:05:25 |
| Switzerland | Andreas Böcherer (GER) | 3:46:56 | Ronnie Schildknecht (SUI) | 3:51:23 | Mathias Hecht (SUI) | 3:54:36 |
| Mooseman | Maxim Kriat (UKR) | 4:02:04 | Paul Ambrose (AUS) | 4:02:11 | Tom Lowe (GBR) | 4:09:23 |
| Boise | Ben Hoffman (USA) | 3:52:41 | Nicholas Thompson (USA) | 3:54:48 | Jeff Symonds (CAN) | 3:55:28 |
| Italy | Daniel Fontana (ITA) | 4:01:26 | Alessandro Degasperi (ITA) | 4:10:54 | Hideo Fukui (JPN) | 4:10:55 |
| Eagleman | T. J. Tollakson (USA) | 3:54:49 | Richie Cunningham (AUS) | 3:57:43 | Stanislav Krylov (RUS) | 3:58:13 |
| Kansas | Paul Matthews (AUS) | 3:49:44 | David Kahn (USA) | 3:55:46 | Luke Bell (AUS) | 3:56:13 |
| U.K. | Mikel Elgezabal (ESP) | 4:25:15 | Stephen Bayliss (GBR) | 4:26:30 | Martin Jensen (DEN) | 4:27:18 |
| Buffalo Springs | Raynard Tissink (RSA) | 4:03:27 | Michael Lovato (USA) | 4:04:22 | Josiah Middaugh (USA) | 4:05:51 |
| Korea | Cameron Brown (NZL) | 4:03:58 | Guy Crawford (NZL) | 4:15:03 | Kieran Doe (NZL) | 4:15:56 |
| Muncie | Ben Hoffman (USA) | 3:48:14 | Mike Caiazzo (USA) | 3:53:12 | Rich Allen (GBR) | 3:54:18 |
| Rhode Island | David Kahn (USA) | 4:00:52 | Paul Ambrose (AUS) | 4:01:27 | Viktor Zyemtsev (UKR) | 4:21:24 |
| Racine | Paul Ambrose (AUS) | 3:51:50 | Tim Berkel (AUS) | 3:57:32 | Patrick Evoe (USA) | 4:03:14 |
| Vineman | Andy Potts (USA) | 3:45:58 | Paul Matthews (AUS) | 3:46:27 | Joe Gambles (AUS) | 3:47:04 |
| Antwerp | Bart Aernoets (BEL) | 3:45:37 | Axel Zeebroek (BEL) | 3:48:25 | Markus Fachbach (GER) | 3:54:31 |
| Calgary | Timothy O'Donnell (USA) | 3:56:24 | Jordan Rapp (USA) | 4:02:37 | Brian Fleischmann (USA) | 4:03:27 |
| Boulder | Joe Gambles (AUS) | 3:45:35 | Raynard Tissink (RSA) | 3:51:41 | Paul Ambrose (AUS) | 3:53:01 |
| Philippines | Pete Jacobs (AUS) | 3:51:43 | Jesse Thomas (USA) | 4:12:30 | Cameron Brown (NZL) | 4:12:54 |
| Wiesbaden | Andreas Böcherer (GER) | 4:08:36 | Filip Ospalý (CZE) | 4:10:19 | Martin Krňávek (CZE) | 4:15:02 |
| Steelhead$^∗$ | Tom Lowe (GBR) | 3:19:32 | Matt Reed (USA) | 3:19:51 | Michael Lovato (USA) | 3:20:16 |
| Lake Stevens | Luke Bell (AUS) | 3:56:50 | Paul Ambrose (AUS) | 3:57:23 | Jeff Symonds (CAN) | 3:58:29 |
$^∗$Swim portion canceled

#### Women

| Event | Gold | Time | Silver | Time | Bronze | Time |
| Austin | Nicola Spirig (SWI) | 4:09:34 | Angela Naeth (CAN) | 4:17:58 | Samantha Warriner (NZL) | 4:22:01 |
| Miami | Leanda Cave (GBR) | 4:21:21 | Angela Naeth (CAN) | 4:30:03 | Christie Sym (AUS) | 4:36:46 |
| Clearwater | Jodie Swallow (GBR) | 4:06:28 | Leanda Cave (GBR) | 4:12:34 | Magali Tisseyre (CAN) | 4:13:04 |
| Phuket | Caroline Steffen (SUI) | 4:20:13 | Melissa Rollison (AUS) | 4:24:53 | Belinda Granger (AUS) | 4:30:49 |
| Pucón | Linsey Corbin (USA) | 4:15:42 | Kim Loeffler (USA) | 4:21:17 | Heather Gollnick (USA) | 4:33:38 |
| South Africa | Jodie Swallow (GBR) | 4:39:19 | Tine Deckers (BEL) | 4:42:25 | Mari Rabie (RSA) | 4:45:45 |
| San Juan | Kelly Williamson (USA) | 4:15:38 | Kate Major (AUS) | 4:19:05 | Caitlin Snow (USA) | 4:20:33 |
| Singapore | Mary Beth Ellis (USA) | 4:21:06 | Amy Marsh (USA) | 4:22:32 | Michelle Wu (AUS) | 4:25:31 |
| California | Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) | 4:26:18 | Heather Jackson (USA) | 4:26:28 | Magali Tisseyre (CAN) | 4:27:22 |
| Texas | Catriona Morrison (GBR) | 4:06:43 | Angela Naeth (CAN) | 4:09:40 | Karin Thürig (SUI) | 4:10:30 |
| New Orleans$^∗$ | Julie Dibens (GBR) | 3:40:15 | Samantha Warriner (NZL) | 3:41:31 | Yvonne van Vlerken (NED) | 3:44:30 |
| Port Macquarie | Joanna Lawn (NZL) | 4:29:36 | Madeleine Oldfield (AUS) | 4:37:24 | Michelle Wu (AUS) | 4:41:10 |
| St. Croix | Catriona Morrison (GBR) | 4:29:28 | Angela Naeth (CAN) | 4:32:07 | Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) | 4:36:01 |
| Busselton | Joanna Lawn (NZL) | 4:13:23 | Felicity Sheedy Ryan (AUS) | 4:15:21 | Rebekah Keat (AUS) | 4:15:55 |
| Mallorca | Emma-Kate Lidbury (GBR) | 4:33:18 | Erika Csomor (HUN) | 4:33:50 | Silvia Felt (GER) | 4:34:04 |
| Florida | Caitlin Snow (USA) | 4:22:31 | Nina Kraft (GER) | 4:28:37 | Heather Leiggi (USA) | 4:32:14 |
| Austria | Karin Thürig (SUI) | 4:20:34 | Erika Csomor (HUN) | 4:24:19 | Yvonne van Vlerken (NED) | 4:26:56 |
| Hawaii | Bree Wee (USA) | 4:42:32 | Sheila Croft (USA) | 4:43:09 | Susanne Davis (USA) | 4:44:00 |
| Switzerland | Caroline Steffen (SUI) | 4:15:10 | Karin Thürig (SUI) | 4:18:31 | Sonja Tajsich (GER) | 4:24:58 |
| Mooseman | Lesley Paterson (GBR) | 4:30:58 | Caitlin Snow (USA) | 4:31:46 | Melanie McQuaid (CAN) | 4:49:29 |
| Boise | Magali Tisseyre (CAN) | 4:18:28 | Heather Wurtele (CAN) | 4:20:21 | Rachel McBride (CAN) | 4:22:14 |
| Italy | Martina Dogana (ITA) | 4:44:59 | Edith Niederfriniger (ITA) | 4:47:51 | Francesca Tibaldi (ITA) | 4:54:24 |
| Eagleman | Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) | 4:15:31 | Tyler Stewart (USA) | 4:21:28 | Samantha Warriner (NZL) | 4:23:02 |
| Kansas | Chrissie Wellington (GBR) | 4:11:08 | Leanda Cave (GBR) | 4:15:13 | Whitney Garcia (USA) | 4:27:17 |
| U.K. | Emma-Kate Lidbury (GBR) | 5:01:01 | Eimear Mullan (IRL) | 5:01:49 | Lucy Gossage (GBR) | 5:03:43 |
| Buffalo Springs | Kelly Williamson (USA) | 4:26:09 | Jessica Meyers (USA) | 4:34:23 | Margaret Shapiro (USA) | 4:35:21 |
| Korea | Joanna Lawn (NZL) | 4:38:54 | Yasuko Miyazaki (JPN) | 5:08:06 | Sarah Wheeler (GBR) | 5:24:03 |
| Muncie | Melissa Rollison (AUS) | 4:08:48 | Kelly Williamson (USA) | 4:12:19 | Leanda Cave (GBR) | 4:12:35 |
| Rhode Island | Magali Tisseyre (CAN) | 4:27:08 | Annie Gervais (CAN) | 4:38:38 | Heather Leiggi (USA) | 4:40:39 |
| Racine | Christie Sym (AUS) | 4:28:54 | Kristin Andrews (USA) | 4:33:26 | Michelle Wu (AUS) | 4:33:48 |
| Vineman | Melissa Rollison (AUS) | 4:09:00 | Leanda Cave (GBR) | 4:15:14 | Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) | 4:17:49 |
| Antwerp | Sofie Goos (BEL) | 4:21:24 | Sofie De Groote (BEL) | 4:22:40 | Natascha Badmann (SUI) | 4:26:44 |
| Calgary | Tenille Hoogland (CAN) | 4:34:21 | Sara Gross (CAN) | 4:34:27 | Mackenzie Madison (USA) | 4:36:52 |
| Boulder | Angela Naeth (CAN) | 4:10:31 | Kelly Williamson (USA) | 4:12:42 | Amanda Lovato (USA) | 4:23:54 |
| Philippines | Belinda Granger (AUS) | 4:26:23 | Amanda Stevens (USA) | 4:28:34 | Bree Wee (USA) | 4:35:16 |
| Wiesbaden | Karin Thürig (SUI) | 4:45:47 | Eva Wutti (AUT) | 4:50:54 | Natascha Badmann (SUI) | 4:51:39 |
| Steelhead$^∗$ | Melissa Rollison (AUS) | 3:36:02 | Heather Jackson (USA) | 3:39:38 | Jessica Jacobs (USA) | 3:44:22 |
| Lake Stevens | Tyler Stewart (USA) | 4:27:31 | Melanie McQuaid (CAN) | 4:37:58 | Haley Cooper-Scott (USA) | 4:42:42 |
$^∗$Swim portion canceled