36 | AustrAliAn triAthleteWhile a full distance Ironman race is
not yet on the schedule for Norden in
2017, it’s part of her longer term plans:
“It’s such a big part of triathlon so of
course, I’m curious about the Ironman
distance. Having seen some of my previous
training partners and competitors
stepping up and doing it so well, I’d like to
give it a go also!Duffy
Flora
Flora Duffy is hands down, the most
versatile athlete in women’s WTS
racing, earning three world titles in 2016
across WTS, XTERRA and ITU Cross
Triathlon. She’s expanding her horizons
even further in 2017, mixing in mountain
biking and non-draft racing into her
schedule. “Last season was great but also
very intense,” confesses Duffy, “so I wanted
to add a few ‘fun’ and different races to my
2017 calendar that will take me out of my
comfort zone and challenge me in ways
that ITU does not.”
Her overarching goal for the year is to
defend her WTS and XTERRA world titles
and longer term Duffy is hoping to represent
Bermuda at her fourth consecutive Olympic
Games in Tokyo 2020.
Duffy had hoped to make her non-draft
racing debut at this year’s Escape from
Alcatraz in June, but a stress reaction has
delayed the start to her triathlon season.
She hopes to squeeze a half distance race
into her schedule towards the end of the
year: “I really enjoyed racing my Scott
Plasma last year at the Island House
Invitational, and it’s motivated me to try a
70.3.” Duffy has an additional incentive to
try her hand at half/70.3 racing before the
next Olympics rolls around. The 2018
Ironman 70.3 World Championships is set
to take place in Port Elizabeth, South
Africa: “I spend half the year in South
Africa and will get married there later this
year so it would be special to race in my
second home.”© ITU Media/Janos M. Schmidt
© ITU Media/Delly CarrOlympic silver medalist from the 2012
London Games, Lisa Norden of Sweden,
is no stranger to the half distance, having
dabbled in a few races after the
culmination of the London quad in 2013.
With a fast swim and strong cycling
abilities, she’s sure to be a threat when
she toes the line at the upcoming Ironman
70.3 Mallorca. Norden has changed her
training situation this season, joining up
with the Norwegian National team for the
year. “They have a taste for volume and
threshold training, and a LOT of it,”
she says about her new squad, “so even if
I’m, technically, with a short course group,
I’m doing more hours and distance than
ever before.” Having battled an Achilles
heel injury over the past year, the run is
likely to be the question mark for
Norden over the longer distances. “I
always found the run terribly long in 70.3
races,” she admits, “and I guess much of
the race comes down to nutrition as well!
It plays a much higher factor than in
two-hour races.”
Norden will continue to race several
World Cup and WTS races in 2017, so
training for her is “a balance of speed and
distance”. But she has her eye on qualifying
for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships:
“I’m looking at the Ironman 70.3 race in
Exmoor... or, alternatively, the 70.3 in
Haugesund, which makes sense with my
Norwegian connection! It’s also the last
race to qualify for the [2017] Ironman 70.3
world champs!”NORDEN
Lisa