Professional triathlete Andrea Forrest, from Glenbrook, has qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Queensland in September.
The news was all the more sweet for Forrest, after sickness and a foot fracture prevented her from racing in two events earlier this year that she considered crucial for selection. Fortunately she’d done well enough in five other races to make the cut, one of only three Australian women in the professional category to qualify for the championships in the first round.
Forrest said although her running had taken a backseat while her foot healed, she had maintained her fitness by swimming and cycling, and was getting back into running now.
She expects a strong field from the United States at the Sunshine Coast half ironman event, as competitors continue on to the full ironman world championships in Hawaii just four weeks later. Switzerland’s Daniela Ryf, who won the past two world half ironman championships, will be her toughest competitor.
“I’ll be giving it my best performance,” Forrest said.
Her qualification comes on the back of half marathon placings of eighth on the Sunshine Coast in September, second at Port Macquarie in October, third in Western Sydney in November, sixth at Ballarat in December and fifth in Dubai in January.
A big local age group contingent from Penrith and the Blue Mountains have also qualified for the championships.