Usually I write a column on the Hawaii Ironman on race week but since I did the race this year I concentrated on posting about my race and experience. But now is my turn to write a little about the pro race, the pros themselves and my take on the men’s pro race which was exciting.
My predictions were close again this year. Michellie won the woman’s race as I predicted and Chris McCormack was second in the men’s race. But Stadler stole the show with a great bike ride as usual. But wait, he did not win the race on the bike nor on the run as people think. Do you want to know how he won the race? He won it on the swim and thanks to a wetsuit. That is right. He wore a freaking wetsuit. Just when you thought non-wetsuit swims were the only races where swimmers could really excel. Here are the wetsuit manufacturers inventing thin wetsuits that are supposedly legal for non-wetsuit swims. They smash the neoprene and if the thickness is not thicker than a certain number it is legal. So as Stadler said “I could not believe I was swimming with Faris”. Yep! He got out with the main pack instead of three minutes behind. The race was over right there. Had he gotten on the bike three minutes behind as he usually does he would have not won the race by a minute as he did.
Apparently Stadler is a very sensitive guy. He was mad that Peter Reid had not given him any credit for winning a couple of years ago. Peter mentions in a tri Movie “What it takes”, that Norman could not win again because his run was not fast enough. Then Norman was mad a Mark Allen because Mark had said on his blog or on a magazine that Norman was too skinny for him to pick him as a favorite to win. What a sensitive guy. When Norman won this year and crossed the finish line he started saying some R rated stuff and acting not very nice. He was sort of shoving his new crown on the face of all those who doubted it. But worst of all he starts accusing Chris McCormack of drafting in the pro pack and cheating. Norman said that the only reason Chris almost caught him on the run was because he cheated by drafting and had fresher legs. Normally a champion lets his actions do the talking but not this one.
Then a night later at the Triathlete Magazine party McCormack and Stadler had a face to face and they had to be separated by other people before things got ugly. McCormack was furious about the comment and with good reason I think. Norman, you won the thing dude. You take all the money, don’t insult the competition. It will bite you back one day. Once you are the top there is only one way and it is down.
I am not sure what Señor Stadler wants. He won the race but I guess he wants people to say that he is also the fastest runner. Is that it? Facts are facts. His run is mediocre and if it was not for his wetsuit many age groupers will kick his butt in the swim. He is just a real fast cyclist and the only way he can win is with a big lead of the bike. But that is allowed. It is a triathlon and we add all the times. So if his run and swim are not outstanding he needs a very outstanding bike to win. He has that. Just accept it. Be glad you can draft in the swim and now you can even wear a wetsuit in Kona.
So you think that is the end of this post. Oh no. As you know Kona is a very powerful place and full of tradition and spirit. Madam Pele is the goddess of the lava and as you know I always make an offering to her before every Hawaii Ironman. One example of another Hawaiian tradition is that you should not take lava rocks home with you. Many people that take lava rocks with them end up having tremendous bad luck. The Hawaii Chamber of Commerce receives many lava rocks from abroad in the mail every month. I used to own a Hawaiian plant that lived on some rocks. These were blessed by the Kahunas so it was ok for me to have them apparently. But as soon as my plant died I took the rocks back to Kona and dumped them on a lava field.
Nothing reflects Hawaiian tradition more that the lei. Most people think of a lei as that one hanging on the shoulders with pretty flowers. But leis can also be placed around the head like a bandana. There are leis for special occasions like weddings, graduations and spiritual ceremonies. Some of the leaves used are from very special and rare Hawaiian trees. Some lais are considred sacred and are treated with respect. The local Hawaiians construct a special lei for the Ironman champions and when the champions cross the finish line they are given this one lei. What do you know; Stadler in his rampage around the finish line grabs the lei and throws it on the ground. A Hawaiian lady tries to put it back on his head and Norman again takes it off and drops it. Oh boy. Needless to say the Hawaiians present were a little upset. Apparently they told Norman that he was a very unworthy champion and he will never win this race again. I do not know about you but I would not want that sort of thing told to me after crossing the finish line. Rumor is that Norman apologized to the Hawaiians and he was given a cleansing by the local Kahunas. The cleansing must have been brutal because he was allegedly crying. Norman apologized and mentioned some of this during his speech at the awards ceremony. Granted he left out all these little details but he apologized.
So there you have it. Chris McCormack is now very thankful to Norman because it will be very easy for him to get up every day at 5:00 AM for swim training. We may now have something we have not had since Mark Allen and Dave Scott. We have a real rivalry.