Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/720024
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 28 AUGUST 2016 Sport 54 ATHLETICS MOTORSPORTS Brutal conditions do not hinder Hannah Pace's performance in Budapest Retains Age Group title, qualifies for second year running for World Championships BRUTALLY hot conditions were the order of the day for the thou- sands of athletes vying to cross the Ironman 70.3 Budapest finish line within the stipulated cut-off times. A sixteen athlete strong delegation from Malta travelled to the Hun- garian capital to undertake a 1.9km swim, a 90km cycle and a 21km run. For some it was their first experi- ence, for others it was a return to challenge and achieve a better time. The 1.9k swim took place in the murky Kopaszi bay of the river Danube and was a rolling start – this means that athletes lined up according to their estimated pre- dicted swim time, with the fastest swimmers going first. This process was recently intro- duced for Ironman races as a safety measure to attempt to ensure as much of a safe racing environment as possible. The 90km cycle saw athletes cycling along the river Danube, through Buda Hills, and crossing the world famous Chain Bridge into Pest – allowing for some spec- tacular sights whilst tackling a flat and fast course. As the day pro- gressed and athletes progressed into the 21km run route, saw ath- letes having to tackle the run route in temperatures of over 30 degrees. Triathlete Hannah Pace returned to the course after having success- fully won her Age Group last year and becoming the first Maltese fe- male to clinch a coveted place at the Ironman 70.3 World Champion- ships which will be held in the com- ing weeks. Pace completed the race in a time of 4 hours 27 minutes and 43 seconds, smashing last years' time by seventeen minutes and es- tablishing a national record in the process. Pace's result and placing saw her once again obtain a quali- fying slot for the 2017 Ironman 70.3 Championships which will be held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. "Budapest, being my first Iron- man 70.3, will always be a special race for me and it was amazing to return after a year and smash my previous time. I knew I was in good form based on the times I had been producing in training but I would have never guessed to have such a great race" commented Pace after the race. "My focus is now aimed towards the World Championships in five weeks time, I take the op- portunity to thank my sponsors – Garmin Malta, Team Barry Malta International Challenge Mara- thon, Teamsport, CFragrances Perfumes, Go & Fun Energy Drink Malta. Special thanks go to the Malta Triathlon Federation for their support" Michelle Vella Wood also gave a strong performance, after having taken a break from triathlon to fo- cus on cycling. Vella Wood finished in second place in her Age Group in a time of 4 hours 41 minutes and 29 seconds, thus also qualifying for the 2017 Ironman 70.3 Champion- ships. Improvements in timings were also registered by Glen Zam- mit and Maria Vella-Galea who returned to the course after having completed it in 2014. A hundred percent success rate was registered by the Maltese del- egation since all athletes success- fully completed the course. The Maltese delegation included Claire Azzopardi Lane, William Brydon, Andre Cutajar, Ruth Debono, Su- zanne Farrugia, Anthony Fenech, Elaine Fenech, Felicienne Mer- cieca, Marvic Mizzi, Hannah Pace, Nadine Tabone, Mike Tanti, Maria Vella-Galea, Michelle Vella Wood, Daren Zahra, Glen Zammit. Hannah Pace Maltese drag racer becomes third- fastest in European history Duncan Micallef completes 1000-foot race in just 3.913 seconds, the third-fastest time in European drag racing history Maltese drag racer Duncan Micallef competing at the European Drag Racing Championships in Sweden MALTESE drag racer Duncan Micallef became the third fastest driver in the sport in European history, when he completed a 1000-foot race in just 3.913 seconds at the Tierp Arena in Sweden. He was only a few tenths of a seconds too slow to break the European record of 3.878 seconds. Micallef was competing in the fourth round of the Top Fuel Class of the Eu- ropean Drag Racing Championship, the most elite category for European drag racers. He has now qualified for the fifth round, where he will be hoping to qualify to the final round that will be held at the Santa Pod raceway in the UK. Malta Motorsport Federation execu- tive secretary toasted Micallef's race as a "huge moment for local motorsports en- thusiasts", noting that Malta hardly ever succeeds so notably in other sports.