Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nickname | The flying Dutchwoman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Krimpen aan de Lek, Netherlands | 5 November 1978||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 57 kg (126 lb) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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: