Jo Lawn defends the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman title. Photo / Jimmy Joe
Auckland's Joanna Lawn can establish herself as the most successful woman in Ironman New Zealand history in this weekend's race in Taupo.
Lawn, 30, has the chance to claim her fifth straight crown and supplant the four wins achieved by New Zealand's greatest triathlete, two-time world champion Erin
Baker.
Lawn was given the top seeding when rankings were announced today for the 23rd annual race on Saturday.
Lawn will have to overcome the challenge from a trio of talented Americans headed by Heather Gollnick
Baker, arguably the best all-round female triathlete in history, won Ironman New Zealand in 1986, 1987, 1990 and 1994 along with world titles over every distance including two wins in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.
Lawn, the 1998 Commonwealth Games cyclist, has developed into one of the world's best endurance triathletes with wins in North America and top-five placings in Hawaii. She has saved her best for home with four consecutive wins at Taupo.
"Taupo is my second home and I believe I own this race. I've won it four times in a row, I know the course well and the support there is unbelievable," she said.
Lawn said that Baker was always an idol and to beat her record at Ironman New Zealand would be an honour.
"She was an absolute legend in the sport and someone I have always looked up to," Lawn said.
Lawn has four top-10s and two top-five finishes in Hawaii to go with her two victories in the US at Ironman Lake Placid and Ironman Arizona with her breakthrough victory in Europe last year.
North American triathletes are seeded second to fourth in Gollnick, Hillary Biscay and Kim Loeffler.
Gollnick, a former world age group Olympic distance champion, has a win and five podium finishes to her credit since moving to the Ironman distance three years ago.
The top seeds are:
1. Joanna Lawn New Zealand
2. Heather Gollnick USA
3. Hillary Biscay USA
4. Kim Loeffler USA
5. Suraya Oliver Great Britain
6. Gina Ferguson New Zealand
7. Miranda Stacey New Zealand
8. Kerryn Gardiner New Zealand
9. Celia Kuch Germany
10. Sarah McMillan USA
