Yvonne van Vlerken
Encyclopedia
Yvonne van Vlerken is a Dutch
triathlete and duathlete, twice winner of Quelle Challenge Roth, who in 2008 set a then world record for Ironman-distance triathlon races. She is one of a small group of female triathletes to have recorded three or more sub-9 hour times over the Ironman distance.
near Gouda
on 5 November 1978. Her father was an "excellent" football player, and she also became a footballer, playing for the South Holland
team. After attending high school she graduated from a fitness-specific school with a degree in fitness coaching, professional aerobic instruction and sports massage therapy. Van Vlerken worked in her home town for over 13 years. Her clients included school children for dance education and older people for fitness coaching.
, more than five minutes faster than Paula Newby-Fraser
's world record time of 8:50:53, which had stood for 14 years. The race took place in wet and cold conditions with non-stop rain and wind. Yvonne van Vlerken broke the old record with the then second-fastest female Ironman-distance marathon time of 2:54:22. Her record stood for a year, until it was again broken in Roth by Chrissie Wellington
, who lowered it by 13 minutes and 49 seconds, in dry and perfect conditions.
Yvonne van Vlerken's other accomplishments include:
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
triathlete and duathlete, twice winner of Quelle Challenge Roth, who in 2008 set a then world record for Ironman-distance triathlon races. She is one of a small group of female triathletes to have recorded three or more sub-9 hour times over the Ironman distance.
Early life
Yvonne van Vlerken was born in the small town of Krimpen aan de LekKrimpen aan de Lek
Krimpen aan de Lek is a town on the Lek River in the municipality Nederlek, province South Holland, the Netherlands. It has 6607 inhabitants in 2008.The name Krimpen comes from the archaic word "Krempener", meaning "river crossing"...
near Gouda
Gouda
Gouda is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Gouda, which was granted city rights in 1272, is famous for its Gouda cheese, smoking pipes, and 15th-century city hall....
on 5 November 1978. Her father was an "excellent" football player, and she also became a footballer, playing for the South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
team. After attending high school she graduated from a fitness-specific school with a degree in fitness coaching, professional aerobic instruction and sports massage therapy. Van Vlerken worked in her home town for over 13 years. Her clients included school children for dance education and older people for fitness coaching.
Athletic career
On 13 July 2008, van Vlerken set a then new world record of 8:45:48 for Ironman-distance races at the Quelle Challenge RothChallenge Roth
The Challenge Roth, is a triathlon race in and around Roth, Germany. It is held annually in July.-Course:The distance is the Ironman distance, even though the race is not part of the official Ironman series....
, more than five minutes faster than Paula Newby-Fraser
Paula Newby-Fraser
Paula Newby-Fraser is an Ironman triathlete and duathlete. She was born in Southern Rhodesia and raised in South Africa, where she was a nationally-ranked swimmer as a child....
's world record time of 8:50:53, which had stood for 14 years. The race took place in wet and cold conditions with non-stop rain and wind. Yvonne van Vlerken broke the old record with the then second-fastest female Ironman-distance marathon time of 2:54:22. Her record stood for a year, until it was again broken in Roth by Chrissie Wellington
Chrissie Wellington
Christine Ann Wellington MBE , known as Chrissie Wellington, is an English triathlete and the current Ironman Triathlon World Champion...
, who lowered it by 13 minutes and 49 seconds, in dry and perfect conditions.
Yvonne van Vlerken's other accomplishments include:
- Recorded a sub-9 hour finish (8:51:55) at her Ironman-distance debut in Roth 2007.
- The only female athlete in history who has held the world record for both the half-Ironman distance (4:07:29 at 2006 Ironman 70.3 Antwerp) and the full Ironman distance (8:45:48 at 2008 Challenge Roth)