The Team Abu Dhabi Triathlon squad will be in action tomorrow when Swen Sundberg and Andreas Böcherer take to the water, tracks and roads of the Ironman Kentucky and Ironman Canada. Sundberg, 35, will join a Ironman record-breaking field of 3,000 professional and amateur athletes for the Ironman in Louisville, Kentucky, which boasts a competitive professional group including race favourite Max Longree, the 2008 champion.
The German is eyeing a top five finish at Kentucky's scenic 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run track, which serves as an official qualifier for the prestigious Ford Ironman World Championships on October 10 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. "My preparation has been good. I feel about 90 per cent fit. I hope it's enough," said Sundberg. "This is the only chance I have to qualify for the World Championship this year, so it's a very important race. Hawaii is the big race, it is important to everyone. I've been training hard for Hawaii so I'm not 100 per cent for Louisville. I hope to make the top five, anything better would be awesome."
German Böcherer starts his race in the waters of Lake Okanagan in Penticton, Canada following a respectable fourth place finish at the Ironman 70.3 Germany race earlier this month. Having recovered from an injury sustained to his achilles tendon at the beginning of the year, Team Abu Dhabi Triathlon team manager Werner Leitner expects Böcherer to push for a top five finish. "Andi will push himself in the water and on the bike," said Leitner. "Ironman Canada is very important for him. You cannot do a lot of these long distance races, perhaps three a year. If you are injured a while you loose a lot of time. Ironman Canada is his first Ironman this year and he wants to show his potential."
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