Source: Ironman.com
URL: http://ironman.com/events/ironman/japan/nick-munting-wraps-up-an-exciting-day-of-racing-at-ironman-japan

In a race that promised much and gave even more, the USA’s Chris Lieto and Canadian born Californian, Heather Fuhr stamped their authority on the sixth Ironman Japan, Goto-Nagasaki in Fukue.

Enroute they took on themselves, the field, the island and the weather in what ended up being a challenging day!

Lieto took the race on the bike, and held tough on the run. Fuhr was strong in the bike and awesome in the run as she caught long time race leader and defending champion, Sarah Fien from Australia.

Lieto has largely untroubled in his victory run; once he wrested the bike lead from Australian Brian Fuller, who cycled into the lead early and then tenaciously, or was that cheekily, held it for more than 60kms.

Once in charge Lieto showed his strong cycling prowess, establishing a 17-minute lead off the bike.

While that seemed insurmountable, no one told Czech journeyman, Petr Vabrousek, who had swum well and biked strong and then lit the fuse to put together a 2:45 marathon and provide an ultra-close finish.

Sarah Fien established a strong lead in the bike and was running away with the race with a 14-minute lead before gastro troubles began to affect her progress. She toughed it out, getting off the bike with a ten minute lead, but a determined Fuhr was soon nipping at her heels.

The expected strong Japanese attack on the race seemed a little blunted by some strong winds that turned the bike race into a real Ironman challenge. Even so, the Japanese were never far off the podium places and once again delivered some strong performances, especially from Hayato Karawara and Naomi Imaizumi.

The swim was easier than expected when the predicted strong winds didn’t affect the athletes as much as had been expected.

On the bike the weather joined with the island topography to throw a continuing variance of temperature, wind and rain at the cyclists.

Through it all Lieto and Fuhr shone, Fuhr taking her 15th Ironman win, Lieto his fourth!

Angela Milne took third in the women’s race, while the living legend that is Paula Newby Fraser finished fourth and Naomi Imaizumi ended up as the first Japanese woman home in fifth. Imaizumi had a day she’s rather forget -- her bike wheel collapsed and her bike seat broke!

In the men’s race it was Byung-Hoon Park from Korea who ran into third place, with Hayato Kawahara the first Japanese home and Hubert Hammerl from Austria taking fifth.

The two top age group champions were 38-year-old Takahiro Hamano in the men’s race and 33-year-old Nicole Vonach-Christmann for the women.

The race however belonged to Lieto and Fuhr.

“It was good to have a nice race after Hawaii,” said Fuhr, “It was windy out there today, but there were some sheltered parts. I had to go hard to catch Sarah; she had an amazing bike ride.”

For Chris it was a feel good time.

“It was a smooth day, I needed an Ironman that flowed and this was a good race. I had to dig deep, but not like I have in my last few Ironman races.”

“I felt good pretty much all day. I didn’t push in the swim, and then I pushed the pace after the first 50 miles in the bike, but then it was nerve wracking in the run as Petr got within a minute or two of me out there!”

It was in all a great day and a great race...

Top Five Results:
Women:
1 Heather Fuhr CAN 09:49:17
2 Sarah M. Fien AUS 10:04:36
3 Angela Milne AUS 10:10:18
4 Paula Newby-Fraser USA 10:13:14
5 Naomi Imaizumi JAP 10:18:30

Men:
1 Chris J. Lieto USA 08:43:20
2 Petr Vabrousek CZE 08:44:22
3 Byung-Hoon Park KOR 08:55:24
4 Hayato Kawahara JAP 09:00:01
5 Hubert Hammerl AUS 09:02:36