BENDIGO’S Leon Griffin has had his disqualification from this year’s Ironman Boulder event in the United States overturned.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Griffin, who initially finished fifth in the race, was disqualified for missing 100 metres of the run course during the June 11 event in Colorado.
The 36-year-old said he had been misdirected by a volunteer at one of the turnaround points, which caused him to miss part of the course.
His appeal to the sport’s governing body USA Triathlon was this week upheld and his original fifth placing reinstated.
“I believe it's the first time anyone has actually ever challenged Ironman on such a ruling and I certainly feel some justification in fighting for what I feel was such an unfair ruling in the first place,” Griffin said.
“It does nothing to help my quest for the Kona qualifying slot this year, however, as that's already dead and buried with the race just a couple weeks away now. “Maybe next year.”
Meanwhile, Griffin finished a “disappointing” seventh in last weekend’s Ironman Wisconsin in Madison.
“Get knocked down - get back up again - that's been my mantra for the past few months whilst preparing for Ironman Wisconsin after the Ironman Boulder disqualification debacle back in June,” he said.
“It worked well to help me try move on and get rolling again, and to be honest was one of the best preparations I felt I've ever had for an Ironman.
“Unfortunately I just couldn't produce the kind of result I felt I was capable of on the day, or reflective of the shape I felt I was in, and finished a rather disappointing seventh place.”
The Wisconsin event was his third ironman for the year.
Griffin said his focus would now turn to shorter events, including one of the biggest races on the calendar, The Island House Invitational Triathlon in November.
