Melissa Hauschildt, Dan Wilson win Asia Pacific 70.3 ironman at Penrith
MULTIPLE world 70.3 Ironman triathlon champion Melissa Hauschildt has broken through for her first win of 2017 after a series of surgeries made her question whether she would ever race again.
Women's sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Women's sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- New pay deal for WNBL players
- Five surfers who can win the WSL world crown
- Aussie mixed crew could win America’s Cup says gun
MULTIPLE world triathlon champion Melissa Hauschildt has broken through for her first win of 2017 after a series of surgeries made her question whether she would ever race again.
On the same day Dan Wilson bowed out of the sport with victory in the men’s race, Hauschildt recorded an emotional victory in the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Western Sydney championship.
NEW GOAL: Ironwoman's pain for Olympic dream
SEACHANGE: Tyler Wright makes her move
What she’s hoped would be a year to remember became a year to forget for the former Commonwealth Games steeplechaser turned multiple half ironman world champion with multiple surgeries to rectify a kinked iliac artery shutting off blood supply in her left leg.
Complications saw Hauschildt, who covered the 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and 21km run course at Penrith on Sunday in 4hr 07min 05 sec, required blood transfusions which left her without energy and unable to race at peak for four months.
“You have to go through tough times or it would be boring heh,’’ laughed Hauschildt after her long-awaited victory over fellow Australian Felicity Sheedy Ryan.
“I was very emotional at the finish line because for a bit I had though my career might be over.
EXTRAORDINARY STORY: Beach volleyballer dreaming big
“But I just felt amazing out there. I was so great to be back.’’
So great in fact Hauschildt now plans to race a full ironman — 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km run — in Western Australia next Sunday.
WINNER: Sarah Crowley wins world crown
SLIP AND SLIDE: How softball helped Sarah Crowley in Hawaii ironman
“This has just made me made me want to do this more,’’ she said.
“I still have goals. The No. 1 is to win Kona (Hawaii ironman triathlon world championship).’’
Australian veteran Dan Wilson made a fairytale finish to his career with his 3:42:11 victory in the men’s race at the half ironman at Penrith.
LIFT-OFF: Olympian jumps aboard SuperFoiler
SURF STARLET: Teenager wins Nutri-Grain ironwoman ... again
Wilson smashed his own course record by more than three minutes in his final outing as a professional, beating Australian Tim Reed (3.14.33) and New Zealander Brayden Currie (3.43.36).
Wilson said even the record wasn’t enough to make him change his mind about retiring.
“No. it’s great to go out on top,” said Wilson, a year into a degree in clinical psychology.
“It doesn’t get any better than that for an athlete.”