The formal
ceremony will be held on February 10 at the Museum of
Contemporary Art in La Jolla, CA.
"Some of
the most competitive racing in Kona is among age group
athletes," said Lew Friedland, WTC president. "It's really an
honor for us to be able to spotlight these special athletes
and their accomplishments."
Gruenfeld,
56, from Blue Jay, CA has nine consecutive finishes in Hawaii
while capturing four age group wins, including back-to-back
first-place finishes in 1999 and 2000. She holds the current
age group record of 11:58:29 in the 55-59 age group, which she
set in 1999, her best finish ever.
"I am
delighted. I am honored and very thrilled. (Ironman) is a huge
piece of my life, and to be honored like this is very
special," Gruenfeld said.
Unlike
Gruenfeld, the 30-year-old Roeckert from Erfurt, Germany, has
a short but impressive Hawaii resume'. Roeckert has won his
age group in each of his three trips to Hawaii from 1998-2000.
He finished 24th overall in his Hawaii debut and 29th overall
at the 2000 championship. To date, his best Hawaii time is
8:55:20.
"Being
named the 2000 age grouper of the year fills me with enormous
pride. I was really surprised to receive this honor," Roeckert
said.
The age
group awards were established in 1999 to recognize the
accomplishments of age group athletes in Hawaii. Missy
LeStrange and Bill Bell were the first recipients.
At 76,
Bell was the oldest finisher at the 1999 Ironman Triathlon
World Championship. His time was 16:38:54. Since February
1982, Bell has been on the starting line in Kona 18 times and
has 15 finish medals to his credit.
Forty-seven-year-old Missy LeStrange has won her age
group at the Ironman Triathlon World Championship each year
since 1991. She has a total of 12 age group titles, including
the 2000 Hawaii event. With 15 Ironman Triathlon World
Championship finishes under belt, she also holds two age group
records - one for the 40-44 age group and one for the 45-49
age group. In 1999, she set a new record for the 45-49 age
group with her 10:51:11 finish, breaking the record she set in
1997.
The 2001
Ironman Triathlon World Championship will be held on October
6, 2001 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Each year, more than 50,000
athletes from around the world vie for one of 1,500 coveted
starting spots at 20 qualifying races around the world
including North America, Europe, Africa and the Pacific Rim.
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Copyright 2000 World
Triathlon Corporation, Inc.
