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Yvonne van Vlerken winning silver at the 2008 Ironman world championship
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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nickname | The flying Dutchwoman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | (1978-11-05) 5 November 1978 (age 45) Krimpen aan de Lek, Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 57 kg (126 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Country | Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club | Tri Team Lustenau | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team | Endurance Team Austria[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Turned pro | 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coached by | Frank Senders Stapsport [2] Mark Allen[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Yvonne van Vlerken (born 5 November 1978) is a Dutch triathlete and duathlete, twice winner of Quelle Challenge Roth, who in 2008 set a world record for Ironman-distance triathlon races.[3] She is one of a small group of female triathletes to have recorded three or more sub-9 hour times over the Ironman distance.[4]
Yvonne van Vlerken was born in the small town of Krimpen aan de Lek 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.[citation needed] 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.[5]
On 13 July 2008, van Vlerken set a then new world record of 8:45:48 for Ironman-distance races at the Quelle Challenge Roth, 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.[citation needed] 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.[6][7]
Yvonne van Vlerken's other accomplishments include:
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