Lisa Norden (SWE) Victorious During the Women’s IRONMAN VR3 Pro Challenge

April 19, 2020

- Over 30,000 athletes from 137 nations registered to compete in IRONMAN VR3 - 72,000 people from around the globe have now joined IRONMAN Virtual Club platform

TAMPA, Fla. – Four professional women capped off the third edition of the IRONMAN^® VR™ Pro Challenge by taking to the virtual bike course and going head-to-head in a sprint distance race simulation. It was Lisa Norden of Sweden taking the top spot on the podium in a closely contested race.

Utilizing Official Virtual Cycling partner ROUVY’s augmented reality to race, the four professional women Jen Annett (CAN), Flora Duffy (BMU), Lisa Norden (SWE) and Pâmella Oliviera (BRA) all conquered two laps of the 20km bike virtual bike course. Norden completed the two laps of the sprint distance in simulation in a time of 58:24 while Duffy finished in second place with a time of 1:01:14. Annett took third position with a finishing time of 1:01:48 as Oliviera rounded out the four, clocking a time of 1:03:29.

The full broadcast of the women’s IRONMAN VR3 Pro Challenge can be viewed, HERE.

Professional women’s results:

In total, over 30,000 other athletes from more than 137 nations and all 50 states set out to participate in the IRONMAN Virtual Racing Series event, which began Friday, April 17 at 6 p.m. GMT (2 p.m. ET). The race requires athletes to complete three segments, including a 1.5km Run, 20km Ride, then 5km Run by the race close, Sunday, April 19 at 11:59 p.m. GMT (7:59 p.m. ET). Competitors can complete the segments in any order and are not required to do the segments consecutively. Athletes are able to compete anywhere, indoors or outdoors. Bringing the IRONMAN community together virtually, the IRONMAN^® Virtual Club™ continues to grow and now has 72,000 members on the platform with thousands completing IRONMAN Virtual Club Challenges since its recent launch.

LOOKING FORWARD

On Sunday, the professional men take to the virtual bike course using ROUVY’s augmented reality beginning at 2:30 p.m. GMT (10:30 a.m. ET). Live coverage of this Sunday’s professional men’s race can be viewed exclusively through the IRONMAN Now Facebook Watch page. The professional field will feature, Igor Amorelli (BRA), a regular on the podium within the South American triathlon circuit, known most notably for being the first Brazilian-born triathlete to win IRONMAN Brazil; Kyle Buckingham (ZAF), a three-time IRONMAN champion, who won his first race as a pro at IRONMAN Lake Placid; Cody Beals (CAN), nine-time champion within the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 circuit, who holds a course best at IRONMAN Mont-Tremblant; and Jesper Svensson (SWE), two-time IRONMAN victor that conquered 2018, winning both IRONMAN Brazil and IRONMAN Barcelona.

The live coverage, hosted by Michael Lovato and Dede Griesbauer, will include check-ins on the age-group IM VR3 race, and special guests including top pros Skyping in from around the globe.

Full details and specifics regarding the IRONMAN Virtual Club are available on www.ironmanvirtualclub.com. For questions about the IRONMAN Virtual Racing Series, athletes can email ironmanvr@ironman.com. For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Media related inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.

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About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® Virtual Racing™ (VR™) Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series^®, IRONKIDS^®, ITU World Triathlon Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and The Sun-Herald City2Surf^® presented by Westpac, Ultra-Trail^® World Tour events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia™, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN^® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with more than 235 events across 50+ countries. On March 26, 2020, Wanda Sports Group (Nasdaq: WSG) entered into an agreement to sell The IRONMAN Group to Advance; closing is anticipated in mid-2020. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.