A flat race and a $50,000 incentive will likely make for a heated Ironman race in Western Australia this weekend.
Competitors from over forty countries around the world are coming together in the town of Busselton for the fifth edition of Ironman Western Australia.
Defending champions Patrick Vernay and Charlotte Paul are both back to defend their titles.
Vernay returns to Busselton on the back of a career-best sixth placing at the Ford Ironman World Championship in October. The New Caledonian has a stranglehold on the Australian continent, also holding the Ironman Australia title.
According to Ironman.com:
"December 1st saw the official start of the long Australian summer and, right on cue, the mercury is on the rise, which is sure to make things just that more interesting for competitors on Sunday as they compete over one of the flattest courses on the global Ironman circuit.
To make things even more interesting, event organizers are offering an extra incentive of $50,000 to whoever can conquer the Ironman world best this weekend.
It truly is an international event, with almost 40 percent of competitors arriving from foreign shores. Among the leading international nations in terms of registrations, Singapore is ahead of the United Kingdom and United States. New Zealand and Canada follow close behind."