CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.-Australian Chris Legh will compete at the 2001 Isuzu Ironman California triathlon being held on Camp Pendleton on May 19. Legh, 28, is the defending menıs champion at Ironman California, earning his first-ever Ironman title at the inaugural Camp Pendleton event back in 2000. Legh posted a time of eight hours, 56 minutes and 10 seconds in 2000, finishing more than 16 minutes ahead of second-place finisher Peter Vabrousek. Legh has been among the elite in the Ironman world for the past four-top three finishes (Ironman Australia 1997,1998,1999 and Ironman Brazil in 1999) as well as a pair of top-10 times at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii (1998, 1999).

With the announcement both the menıs (Legh) and womenıs (Heather Fuhr) champions from Isuzu Ironman California 2000 are scheduled to compete in 2001. Any time a defending champion returns to an event it creates excitement,² said Isuzu Ironman California Race Director Buzz Mills. ³Having both defending champs compete is a huge plus. Both Chris and Heather are among the elite triathletes in Ironman and they will offer a stiff challenge to anyone looking to win.

Legh is expected to be challenged by a trio of U.S. athletes all of whom have tasted Ironman success. Leading the way is last yearıs third-place finisher Peter Kotland (Duncan, S.C). Kotland posted the highest Ironman finish of his career at Camp Pendleton in 2000, finishing  with a time of 9:14:27. Kotland also posted top-10 finishes in 2000 at Isuzu Ironman USA Lake Placid (9th) and Ironman Florida (4th). Kotland is well-known for his running ability, as he registered the fastest run at the 2000 Camp Pendleton event (2:49:31).

Also expected to challenge Legh is 1999 Ironman Canada champion Chuckie Veylupek (Liberty Lake, Wash.). Veylupek, a former member of the U.S. Cycling Team, earned his only Ironman title at Ironman Canada in 1999 with an overall time of 8:49:10. The 32-year-old has also finished in the top three at Ironman Lanzarote (3rd in 1999) and at the 1998 Canada event (2nd).

A third U.S. athlete who should be in the thick of things at Camp Pendleton is Tony DeBoom (Boulder, Colo.) Tony joins sister-in-law Nicole as a top favorite at Ironman California as Nicole was third in the inaugural event in 2000 and will compete in May as well. DeBoomıs top Ironman finish is a fourth-place showing at 1997 Ironman Switzerland (8:46). The 32-year-old, came close to claiming his first title at Ironman USA Lake Placid in 2000,  before severe cramping on the run portion of the event eventually forced him to walk much of the marathon, eventually finishing 33rd after leading for most of the day. DeBoom also finished 22nd at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii in 2000. As of now any one of these four athletes could claim the 2001 title,² added Mills. ³We are truly looking forward to a great menıs race.²