Mirinda Carfrae's outstanding eight-year term as a Hawaiian Ironman contender is temporarily over, for the best possible reason.
The three-time Kona winner and her American husband Tim O'Donnell are expecting their first child this August.
But the Australian star is far from retired, with Carfrae saying she still has three more Kona campaigns in her.
She currently plans to return at next year's Hawaiian Ironman.
"At 35, I'm still enjoying racing, I still think I have a number of really good years left in me," she told Lava magazine.
"I think I can be really competitive in Kona - I think I can win the title again.
"But the body clock is ticking."
Carfrae and O'Donnell, a top-three finisher at Kona, announced the pregnancy late last month.
She had spoken publicly several times about wanting to start a family, but initially thought that would wait until her triathlon career was over.
They decided to try now because of potential pregnancy complications if Carfrae waited another couple of years.
"It just made sense to take a year out now," she said.
"It's definitely been a very different year after 15 years of basically living, breathing triathlon and basically nothing else.
"It's kind-of a nice change to our lives - for the moment, anyway.
"I feel it's going to be a great little break for me."
Carfrae and Craig Alexander are the only Australians to win the Hawaiian Ironman world title three times.
She has a remarkably consistent record at Kona.
After finishing runner-up on debut in 2009, the only time Carfrae has not finished on the podium was when she failed to finish two years ago.
Carfrae was knocked off her bike in race week and the injuries from that accident meant she pulled out mid-race.
The Australian won Hawaii in 2010, '13 and '14.
Carfrae set the women's course record in 2013 and that held until Daniela Ryf's win last October.
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