Lyn Lemaire

Eleanor Lynette Lemaire (born c.1951), also known as Lyn Lemaire, is an American former triathlete and championship cyclist. In 1979 she was the first woman to complete the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon, becoming the world's first female "Ironman" and – by default as the only woman in the race – the first female winner of the Ironman championship. She also held the U.S. women's record for the 25-mile bicycle time trial.

Early life and education

Lemaire was born in Santa Monica, California, and educated at UCLA, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa in biochemistry in 1974. At high school she entered four national swimming championships, and at UCLA she played all three positions in basketball. As a senior she cycled from Vancouver to Los Angeles, and the following summer vacation she spent cycle touring around England and northern Europe.cite web
url = http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20074437,00.html
title = The Fifth Best 'Iron Man' Is a Woman, Versatile Lyn Lemaire
author = Gail Jennes
date = 1979-08-27
publisher = "People Weekly"
accessdate = 2008-06-24]

Bicycle racing achievements

After finishing second in 1975, Lemaire won the U.S. National 25-mile time trial championships in 1976, setting a new record of 1:00:06.7. She retained her title the following year, and finished second in 1978. [cite web
url = http://www.angelfire.com/realm/cvccbikers/ten_years/us_tt.html#1979
title = US National Time Trial Champions 1975-1981
date = 1998-01-26
publisher =
accessdate = 2008-06-24] At the 1976 U.S. National track championships held in Northbrook, IL, she finished third in the 3000 m individual pursuit, beating Susan Gurney into 4th place. In the same event two years later, she again placed third, in a time of 4:14.17, a faster time than the second place racer, Betsy Davis. [cite web
url = http://www.cvccbike.com/ten_years/us_track.html
title = US National Track Champions 1972-1981
date = n.d.
publisher = Chippewa Valley Cycling Club
accessdate = 2008-06-24] In the U.S. National Road Race Championships, she placed 7th in the 1975 event (35 mi) and 10th in the 1977 event (38.24 mi). [cite web
url = http://www.angelfire.com/realm/cvccbikers/ten_years/us_road.html
title = US National Road Champions 1972-1981
date = 1998-01-12
publisher = Chippewa Valley Cycling Club
accessdate = 2008-06-25]

Ironman

The second annual Hawaii Ironman race was held January 1979 during Honolulu's stormy season and in the middle of some of the worst weather for several years. The weather forced the postponement of the race by one day, and remained sufficiently bad that only 15 out of the original 28 entrants attempted the race. Among these was Lemaire, the only woman in the race.cite web
url = http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1094935/1/index.htm
title = Ironman - to earn that title, Tom Warren victoriously swam 2.4 miles through rough seas, bicycled 112 miles and all ran a marathon, all in a single day of agony
author = Barry McDermott
date = 1979-05-14
publisher = "Sports Illustrated"
accessdate = 2008-06-26]

At one point in the bike stage she was in second place, only 10 minutes behind the race leader and eventual winner, Tom Warren; she was 21 minutes behind the leader at the end of the bike stage, and eventually finished in 5th place overall. [cite web
url = http://admin.ironman.com/assets/files/races/worldchampionship70.3/pdf/2007mediaguide.pdf
format = pdf
title = Media Guide, 2007 Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3
pages = [http://admin.ironman.com/assets/files/races/worldchampionship70.3/pdf/2007mediaguide.pdf#page=13 p. 13]
date = 2007-11-10
publisher = World Triathlon Corporation
accessdate = 2008-06-24] in a time of 12:55:38. [cite web
url = http://ironman.com/events/ironman/worldchampionship/statistics-from-the-ford-ironman-world-championship
title = Kona Stats, Including Age Group Records
date = 2007-10-07
publisher = World Triathlon Corporation
accessdate = 2008-06-24]

Later life

Lemaire entered Harvard Law School in September 1979.

In 1984, with investment from Norman Raben, [cite news
author = Philip H. Dougherty
title = Norman Raben to Buy Ultrasport Magazine
url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A03EEDB1E38F93BA25752C0A962948260
publisher = "New York Times"
page =
date = 1984-01-18
accessdate = 2008-06-26] she founded "Ultrasport" magazine, becoming its Editor-in-chief. [cite web
url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3065/is_v15/ai_4294605/pg_2
title = Meeting the entrepreneurial challenge
author = Lyn Lemaire
date = July 1986
publisher = "Folio Magazine"
accessdate = 2008-06-26]

Results

Notes