Europeans Dominate at Ford Ironman Florida
November 7, 2009 by Craig Baranowski
Filed under 30A Area Luxury Home News and Updates
Today was an awesome day. The weather for the Ford Ironman Florida 2009 edition was spectacular. We had clear blue skies, minimal humidity and a comfortable 78 degrees. This year’s edition was won by two first-time Ironman Champions: Kirill Kotshegarov of Estonia as the men’s winner and Sophie Goos of Belguim claiming the women’s title.
It was a very exciting day and it was wonderful seeing so many athletes enjoying Panama City Beach and our beautiful weather and beaches. Athletes from all over the world descended upon our crystal clear waters to begin one of the most epic races of their lifetime!
Top Five Men
1. Kirill Kotshegarov, EST 8:25:29
2. Maxime Kriat, UKR 8:26:51
3. Massimo Cigana, ITA 8:28:04
4. Nick Saunders, GBR 8:31:44
5. Christophe Bastie, FRA 8:35:29
Goos was in third going on the run with five-time Ironman Florida winner Bella Bayliss right behind. During the first portion of the run Bayliss was making up ground on the field but was eventually passed by Goos and the second place finisher Tamara Kozulina of the Ukraine.
Top Five Women
1. Sophie Goss, BEL 9:08:38
2. Tamara Kozulina, UKR 9:12:47
3. Bella Bayliss, GBR 9:13:52
4. Joan Blafoss, DNK 9:21:11
5. Heather Gollnick, FL, USA 9:22:13
The day began under clear skies with 2,421 athletes entering the Gulf of Mexico to start their Ironman journey comprised of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike and a 26.2-mile marathon.
