Sport
20 June, 2019
Local ironmen set to take on the world
MAREEBA locals Kevin Davies and Jose Lopez have secured a spot at the 2019 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in the 50-54 and 45-49 categories respectively to be held in Nice, France in October.
MAREEBA locals Kevin Davies and Jose Lopez have secured a spot at the 2019 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in the 50-54 and 45-49 categories respectively to be held in Nice, France in October.
Davies secured his spot with a 19th place finish at Cairns Ironman recently, while his training teammate Lopez achieved qualification at a Port Macquarie event earlier this year.
Davies noted his excitement about his qualification.
“It’s something Jose and I have worked for over the past year,” he said.
“We both have made a lot of sacrifices, particularly at home, so it’s really pleasing to see it pay off.”
Mr Davies, who achieved qualification in the Cairns Ironman recently, noted his appreciation to Tracy Marcel for the rigorous training regime she put him and Jose through in preparation for the event.
“Tracy’s commitment in getting us ready over the past year has been fantastic, and we couldn’t have done it without her,” he said.
“While it is tough balancing home-life, work and training, it makes it easier having such a great group of people to train and prepare with.”
This is not the first time Mr Davies has achieved qualifications for the World Championships, having done so in 2014.
“It’s great to be back competing at a world level again,” he said.
“I’m going to have a week or two off after the Cairns Ironman to relax a bit, and then I’ll be looking to ramp up the training in preparation for October.”
Fellow Mareeba local and training mate Jose Lopez largely echoed Mr Davies’ sentiments.
“While we’re competing individually, it’s a privilege to be able to represent Australia in an international competition,” he said.
“I was lucky enough to have competed at the World Championships back in 2016, so I’ve got a bit of an understanding of what’s required and hopefully I can perform well come October.
“I didn’t have the best performance at the most recent event in Cairns, so I’m looking forward to getting stuck into training with Kevin and doing the best I can in Nice.”
Both Mr Lopez and Mr Davies both noted that they would like to thank their families for their unwavering support over the past year.
