Sports news / 21.05.2012
Congratulations to Danish triathlete and ECCO ambassador, Michelle Vesterby, who grabbed victory in the Lanzarote Ironman over the weekend in what was only her third attempt at the distance.
Of all the races on the Ironman calendar, Lanzarote has the most fearsome reputation. Brutal hills and relentless winds, combined with intense heat, make for a truly testing event; but this is a place that Michelle Vesterby considers to be “home”.
Vesterby, 28, showed her intentions from the very beginning, leading the race from start to finish. The Dane was first out of the water, nearly three-minutes ahead of the second-placed Saleta Castro. She stayed ahead on the bike, posting the women’s second-fastest bike split in 5:39:25, and finished by running a solid 3:20 marathon to hold off second place Bella Bayliss, whose fastest marathon of the day (3:14) wasn’t enough to get her a third win in Lanzarote.
It was an incredible achievement for Vesterby, who did not do her first Ironman until last November, when she finished fifth at Ironman Arizona. Earlier this year, she finished 9th in the incredibly competitive Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship in Melbourne.
Top 3 women overall:
1.
Vesterby, Michelle - Denmark - 00:51:43 | 05:39:25 | 03:20:16 | 09:58:06
2.
Bayliss, Bella - United Kingdom - 00:56:12 | 05:47:54 | 03:14:06 | 10:06:12
3.
Bij de Vaate, Heleen - Netherlands - 01:05:03 | 05:35:53 | 03:29:18 | 10:17:33
Sports news / 27.04.2012
Magnus Andersson gives us his thoughts ahead of this weekend's big match
After a fantastic home Champions League quarter final victory over Barcelona last Friday, AG København’s Head Coach, Magnus Andersson, knows the team will have to be at their best when they head to the Spanish city for the second leg of the competition.
“It was amazing to experience the atmosphere in the Parken Arena. 21,000 spectators does make a difference but, even though we are satisfied with the result and the way we handled the game and the pressure, the game on Saturday in Barcelona will be a completely different story.
“Barcelona won the Champions League last season and they are still one of the best teams in the world. For us to qualify for the Final4 would require something close to a perfect game in Palau Blaugrana Arena, where Barcelona very rarely lose, and most often win by a large margin. I expect 8-9,000 spectators and they all know how important the game is for the home team. It will be extremely intense - but, can we stick to the tactics, stand tough in the defense and take advantage of our very speedy contra game? I believe we can.
“It is the most important game in the history of AG København. A loss by less than 6 goals will get us into the Champions League final 4, which is played in Cologne on the last weekend of May, in front of 19,000 spectators. Over two days the semi-finals and the final will be played in the same arena, with all of the hand ball world watching.
“From the beginning, our ambition and goal has been to qualify for the final 4. With the first result in hand, we have a real chance to make it. It will be the biggest achievement ever for any Danish team, but we also know that it will be our toughest game ever.”
Magnus Andersson is sponsored by ECCO.