Gordon Haller
{{Short description|American triathlon athlete (born 1950)}}
{{Expand German|topic=bio|Gordon Haller|date=December 2015}}
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{{MedalSport | Men's triathlon }}
{{MedalCountry| {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|Ironman World Championship}}
{{MedalGold| 1978 | Men's race }}
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Gordon Haller (born 1950) is the winner of the first Ironman Triathlon.
Biography
Haller grew up in Forest Grove, Oregon and earned a degree in physics at Pacific University.
On Oahu, Hawaii in 1978, Haller competed in Navy Commander John Collins’ race which combined the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, the Around-Oahu Bike Race, and the Honolulu Marathon. Of the 15 competitors, 12 finished what today is called the Ironman, and Gordon Haller was the first champion, with a time of 11 hours, 46 minutes, 58 seconds. In 1979, Haller placed fourth behind winner, Tom Warren.{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1979/05/14/823621/ironman-to-earn-that-title-tom-warren-victoriously-swam-24-miles-through-rough-seas-bicycled-112-miles-and-ran-a-marathon-all-in-a-single-day-of-agony|title=To Earn That Title, Tom Warren Victoriously Swam 2.4 Miles Through Rough Seas, Bicyled 112 Miles And All Ran A Marathon, All In A Single Day Of Agony|first=Barry|last=McDermott|website=si.com}}
Haller commented about the success of Ironman, nearly 30 years later in a 2007 interview with Competitor Magazine "It’s just an amazing experience... certainly something I didn’t expect to have happen way back in the beginning."
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://competitorradio.competitor.com/2007/04/118gordon-haller/ The Competitors Radio Interview with Gordon Haller] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820172850/http://competitorradio.competitor.com/2007/04/118gordon-haller/ |date=2014-08-20 }}
- [https://archive.today/20130116112716/http://www.active.com/story.cfm?RESET=0&CHECKSSO=1&STORY_ID=10255 ACTIVE.COM Ironman's first champ, Gordon Haller, looks back 25 years]
- [https://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/summer/2003-10-15-original-ironman-haller_x.htm USA TODAY - Original Ironman still racing hard]
{{Footer Ironman Triathlon World Champions men}}
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Category:American male triathletes
Category:Ironman world champions
Category:Pacific University alumni
Category:People from Forest Grove, Oregon