Stars look to turn it on again for the Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore...

• Asia’s first Ironman 70.3 celebrates fourth birthday with over 1400 entries

• Defending champions, the reigning Ironman World Champion, Australia’s Craig Alexander, and the World Long Distance Champ, Britain’s Jodie Swallow look to repeat victories.

Singapore’s Aviva Ironman 70.3 has again proven an attraction for the stars and age groupers alike with the biggest entry of its four year history; and with the reigning champions both back to defend their titles, and as reigning world champions too!

The Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore will once again take competitors on an amazing journey; from the unique 1.9km two lap, two lane swim; to the three lap 90km bike across the island of Singapore via city freeways and highways and on into the 21km three lap run in the shade of the city’s East Coast Parklands – alongside the ocean, to the gala finish line.

And in a year when the race is surrounded by Ironman events in China and Australia; challenged by a new race in Abu Dhabi; the competitors have voted with their feet to once again take on the warmth of the island nation and the challenge that this unique race brings.

Recently voted in the top four city races in the world by Triathlete USA magazine; the Aviva Ironman 70.3 brings a unique perspective to an event plus memories and experiences galore for those who visit for the race. In 2010 there are athletes competing in Singapore representing 61 countries from around the world!

With World Champion, Craig Alexander already replicating a repeat of his 2009 season; he’s installed as the favourite by his many fans in Singapore – many hundreds of whom went on Facebook to persuade him to race here this year!

But for Alexander it’s been anything but a good preparation, the world champion recently robbed of both his training and racing bikes! His sponsors came to his aid to replace the magic machines; and a nationwide hunt is still underway in Australia to find the bikes! But a stoical Alexander has continued his build up for Singapore despite the loss of his equipment.

Ranked against Alexander is a sensational field of stars; number two seed held by Brit, Stephen Bayliss, a two time Ironman winner and regular podium place getter in Ironman 70.3 races worldwide. And with the late withdrawal by an injured Olympian and Ironman Malaysia winner Jan Rehula; Australia’s Chris Legh ranks highly and the plucky Aussie has a great history having won two Ironman races, the Australian Championships six times and was an early pace setter and winner in many Ironman 70.3 racing around the world.

In one of the most open and international pro fields to yet visit Singapore the male field alone boasts athletes from eight countries and one new face this year is the very successful James Cunnama from South Africa, no stranger to the podium in either Ironman or Ironman 70.3 racing. With a recent string of second places in Europe and the USA, James is looking to break the drought with a break through victory in Singapore.

But with the new faces come some ‘old hands’ with four time Ironman champion, New Zealand’s Bryan Rhodes heading back to Singapore for his fourth appearance there.

The field is a mixture of experience and new blood, with veterans including Paul Matthews (AUS), Kent Horner (RSA) and Aaron Farlow (AUS) while the new faces will include the Czech Republic’s Jan Matejovsky, Balazs Csoke from Switzerland and Fredrik Croneborg from Sweden, who posted a strong finish in China recently where he finished second in the 2010 Ironman China 70.3 race.

And that’s not all, with podium place getters Domenico Passuello from Italy (a former professional cyclist) and Daiki Masuda from Japan also joining the pro male field.

And if you thought the depth of talent in the male field was good; check out the female field who come from five different countries to challenge in Singapore.

With Swallow the favourite; and looking to set up a second win in Singapore the battle is on with rising Swiss star Caroline Steffen looking to rain on Swallow’s parade.

Steffen recently stormed to victory in the Geelong Ironman 70.3 in Australia; and it is a host of Aussie girls who’ll challenge her and Jodie Swallow in Singapore.

The Aussie attack is led by Kelly Jarrett, Melissa Vandewater, Elly Franks, Anna Cleaver, Rebecca Preston and there’s also Erin O’Hara from New Zealand in that attack!

The international women’s field includes Claire Horner, the South Africa Long Distance Champion, Yasuko Miyazaki from Japan and Margaret Shapiro from the USA.

Organisers, Hi-Tri (Singapore) expect a close race in both the men’s and the women’s pro category fields; but behind the elite contingent are over 1100 individual amateur athletes competing in 21 age groups plus Physically Challenged athletes in individual and team categories.

Teams are featured strongly in the 2010 Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore with 95 corporate and private teams lining up containing 265 people and the team that most will be following is Team Beats Per Minute, being led out by Australia’s charismatic Chris McCormack! “Macca” will swim for a team that contains Singapore Sports Council coach, Daniel Plews and Straight’s Times journalist and star Age grouper triathlete, Jeannette Wang.  The trio are doing if all for Cancer Research too!

Sunday’s event will be begin at 7:00am with the last competitors having 8.5 hours to complete the gruelling course.

Race Statistics

• Of the 1,396 entries for the Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore, there are 465 Singaporeans and 1,018 athletes representing 60 other countries.

• A total of 61 nations are represented with Hong Kong, Australia, the UK and US, and Japan, Philippines, Malaysia and the UAE very strong in numbers.

• 86% of the field are male with 14% female.

• The most popular age group category for both women is 35-39 (33 women) and 40-44 for men with 272 competitors.

• The oldest competitors are Japan’s Kazuharu Tsujii (Male 74 years) and Australia’s Pamela Williams (Female 57 years)

• The youngest competitors are Singapore’s Siew Mei Chan  (Female - 22 years) and Tiong Han Yeo ( Male -20 years)

•             There are a record number of 95 teams also introducing competitors to the incredible Ironman 70.3 distance in 2010

ELITE ATHLETES

Bib #No                Given Name       Family Name      Country

MEN

1              Craig Alexander                Australia

2              Stephen Bayliss                United Kingdom

3              Jan Rehula                          Czech Republic

4              Christopher Legh             Australia

5              James Cunnama               South Africa

6              Bryan Rhodes                    New Zealand

7              Alessandro Degasperi    Italy

8              Paul Matthews                 Australia

9              KENT HORNER                   South Africa

10           Aaron Farlow                     Australia

11           DOMENICO PASSUELLO  Italy

12           Balazs Csoke                      Switzerland

13           Fredrik Croneborg           Sweden

14           Jan Matejovsky              Czech Republic

15           DAIKI MASUDA                 Japan

WOMEN

20           Jodie Swallow                    United Kingdom

21           Caroline Steffen               Australia

22           Claire Horner                     South Africa

23           Kelly Jarrett                        Australia

24           Melissa Vandewater      Australia

25           ELLY FRANKS                      Australia

26           Yasuko  Miyazaki              Japan

27           Anna Cleaver                     Australia

28           Rebecca Preston              Australia

29           Margaret Shapiro             United States

30           Erin O'Hara                          New Zealand