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MILLION
DOLLAR BABY: IRONMAN World Champion and "Nasser bin Hamad Triple
Crown" winner Daniela Ryf of Switzerland – (Nigel Roddis/Getty Images for
IRONMAN)
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Daniela Ryf has won it all: an IRONMAN® World Championship (2015), an IRONMAN® 70.3® World Championship (2014 and 2015), an IRONMAN European Championship (2015) and an IRONMAN 70.3 European Championship (2014) going undefeated in 2015.
Now the Swiss athlete has added yet another title to her impressive resume: IRONMAN 70.3 Middle East Champion and winner of the inaugural “Triple Crown” prize purse of one million U.S. dollars – the highest prize purse in the sport of triathlon.
Ryf won the first race of the “Nasser bin Hamad Triple Crown” series in Dubai in February, followed by a victory at the 2015 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Zell am See-Kaprun in August. She then captured the Triple Crown title with a win at the 2015 IRONMAN 70.3 Middle East Championship Bahrain. The race was shortened to a bike and run event as strong winds made swimming impossible.
“This is an amazing moment in my career and I hope for triathlon. I brought six friends to Bahrain to be with me”, said Ryf, who races for the Bahrain Endurance Team.
She burst onto the IRONMAN scene in 2014 having competed in her first triathlon in 2000. After winning the Swiss Junior Championship four consecutive times from 2003 to 2006, Ryf added her first U23 World Championship title in 2008, qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games. Four years later she was again a member of the Swiss Olympic team.
“I am very thankful that HH Prince Nasser has helped raise the profile of our sport. It has been an amazing year for me. To be honest I have no clue what I will do with all the money. I really need to let this settle a bit,” Ryf added.
RESULTS – WOMEN
| 1. | Ryf, Daniela | SUI | 00:00:00 | 02:07:28 | 01:18:48 | 03:28:20 |
| 2. | Steffen, Caroline | SUI | 00:00:00 | 02:12:54 | 01:22:54 | 03:37:45 |
| 3. | Lundstrom, Asa | SWE | 00:00:00 | 02:09:28 | 01:28:06 | 03:39:35 |
RESULTS – MEN
| 1. | Aernouts, Bart | BEL | 00:00:00 | 01:55:14 | 01:14:00 | 03:11:15 |
| 2. | Wild, Ruedi | SUI | 00:00:00 | 01:58:21 | 01:12:02 | 03:12:26 |
| 3. | Cunnama, James | RSA | 00:00:00 | 01:58:07 | 01:14:01 | 03:13:54 |
| 4. | Plese, David | SLO | 00:00:00 | 01:57:57 | 01:15:26 | 03:15:24 |
| 5. | McMahon, Brent | CAN | 00:00:00 | 01:57:30 | 01:16:15 | 03:15:38 |
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