Paula Findlay secured a first win of the season in emphatic style at IRONMAN 70.3 St. George on Saturday, which doubled as the IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship.
Exiting the water alongside the leaders, the Canadian proceeded to break away on the bike, building a buffer of over four minutes on to the run before cruising home to victory.
Reflecting on her day, the PTO World #7 shared why she loves racing in St. George so much and praised the rest of the women’s podium for their performances.
“It was a hard race”
Admitting that it wasn’t as easy as it looked, Findlay said her pre-race plan had centred around the bike, breaking away from the field and keeping confident on the descents.
“It was a good day, but it was a hard race. In the swim I came out with the leaders, so that was a box checked, then I wanted to break away on the bike and I used the hills to my advantage, as that’s what I like best, the climbing.
“My focus for this race was to be brave on the downhills and not get spooked by the wind, because sometimes I get a little nervous, but I think I rode really well and consistent and had a four minute gap off the bike.
“It was nice to run without fear, I still pushed hard, but it wasn’t like I was on the redline and it meant I could enjoy the run a little bit. This course is so challenging, with so much elevation gain, but the crowd support is great.”
“The city really loves triathlon and gets behind it”
Crediting not only her competition but also the city for putting on such a great race, Findlay listed several reasons why St. George holds a special place in her heart.
“The course is one thing, the roads are in such good condition and the city really loves triathlon and gets behind it. The volunteers are incredible and it’s also a short trip from where I live in Oregon, so no matter what it will always be on my schedule.”
Asked about her racing rivals, Findlay said it was great to see Ellie Salthouse and Jackie Hering, both of whom she considers friends, finish on the podium.
“There’s a lot of camaraderie out on the course, although it gets competitive when the gun goes off, but I have so much respect for them and Ellie and Jackie are really great friends of mine and it was nice to see them both have good days.”
