KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii, Oct 8 AAP - Hawaiian Ironman bridesmaid one year, triathlon greatness the next.
It's become a curious trend among star Australian triathletes at the sport's most famous race.
Not only have Australians won the men's or women's world title at Hawaii every year since 2006, but curiously five of them were runners-up 12 months earlier.
Now it's Luke McKenzie's turn and he knows it.
McKenzie had a breakthrough performance last year when he led the iconic race on the Hawaiian island of Kona until deep in the marathon before Belgian Frederik Van Lierde passed him.
He is one of the contenders in a wide-open field on Saturday (Sunday AEDT) as he tries to uphold the Australian trend that Michellie Jones started in 2005-06.
"It's something that comes up quite a bit," McKenzie said with a chuckle.
"That's something I take on board - the potential is there to win the race.
"I feel like I've done my time here and I've put myself out there in a winning position.
"The more times I can do that, one day it's going to come off."
But this is also the eighth time McKenzie has raced at Kona and he has learned to be patient.
Whatever the expectations, he will not put extra pressure on himself in the race that includes a 3.8km swim, 180km ride and 42.2km run.
"If it's this year, that's great, if not, I'm not going to beat myself up," he said.
"It's not going to be my last time here."
So far, McKenzie has endured a rollercoaster year.
He had a bike crash a few days before Melbourne's Ironman Asia-Pacific championships in March and battled to 13th place.
Weeks later his partner Beth Gerdes, also a professional triathlete, gave birth to their daughter Wynne.
McKenzie was bullish about his chances four months ago at the prestigious Ironman-distance Challenge Roth race in Germany, but had to settle for 10th.
"It just made me hungry to come back here," he said.
"I know I've had the form to produce good results this year, but it hasn't happened.
"But it puts me back under the radar again.
"People might view last year's result as a one-off, but I know I have the goods to compete for this title."
And regardless of results, he and Gerdes are revelling in parenthood.
McKenzie is good friends with compatriot and three-time Hawaiian champion Craig Alexander, a father of three who credits his family as being a massive factor in his success.
McKenzie is also experiencing what he calls "the baby bonus".
"It gives a lot more meaning to my day, to be able to come home from some hard training and just watch the little milestones my daughter is constantly going through," he said.
"The baby bonus, they call it - you just get that extra kick.
"I finally know what 'Crowie' was going through for all those years."
AUSTRALIANS GOING FROM SECOND TO FIRST AT HAWAII
* Greg Welch: runner-up 1991, Australia's first champion '94
* Michellie Jones: runner-up 2005, first Australian women's winner '06
* Chris McCormack: runner-up '06, won '07 (also won '10)
* Craig Alexander: runner-up '07, won '08 (also won '09, '11)
* Mirinda Carfrae: runner-up '09, won '10 (also defending champion)
* Pete Jacobs: runner-up '11, won '12.
Share
