The Cairns Airport Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship Cairns will feature a star-studded professional field that befits its status.
Defending champion Luke McKenzie (AUS), who also won in 2013, will be joined by 2012 champion David Dellow (AUS) and 2014 champion Cameron Brown (NZL) leading a strong field of professional men.
“I am really excited to be returning as the Ironman Cairns defending champion and also as the event ambassador again. I often get asked what my favorite Ironman event is and without hesitation my answer is always Ironman Cairns,” McKenzie said.
Australians Tim Van Berkel and Brad Kahlefeldt, second and third at the Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship in Melbourne last year, are also back. Van Berkel, twice a runner-up at Ironman Cairns and second at this year’s Standard Bank Ironman African Championship South Africa in March, will be pushing for the title.
Also in the mix will be five-time Ironman winner Jordan Rapp (USA), fellow American and 2015 Ironman Texas North American Champion Matt Hanson, and 2012 Ironman World Champion Pete Jacobs (AUS). Jacobs will continue in his bid to return to the top echelon of the sport along with fellow Australian Luke Bell.
The professional women’s race remains very competitive, despite three-time winner Liz Blatchford (AUS) having to pull out of the race due to injury. Jodie Swallow (GBR), the 2015 Ironman African champion and Linsey Corbin (USA), a five-time Ironman champion, will lead the impressive field. Injury kept Corbin on the sidelines for much of last season, which makes her bid to get back to this year’s Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona Hawai'i much more challenging.
“I am using Ironman Cairns to hopefully get my final qualification points. I have taken a different approach to racing and training this year and am focusing on one race at a time. As of now Ironman Cairns is my one focus,” Corbin said.
New Zealand’s Michelle Bremer, fresh off a second place finish at Ironman Australia earlier this month will back up in Cairns. Last year, she followed up her win at Ironman Australia with a third in Cairns.
An automatic bid to the 2016 Ironman World Championship will be on the line as all professional winners of each Ironman Regional Championship race will receive automatic qualification to the Ironman World Championship held in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i on October 8. The Cairns Airport Ironman Cairns triathlon will also offer a $150,000 prize purse to male and female professionals which will be distributed amongst the first- through tenth-place finishers.
