Leanda Cave

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Leanda Cave

| image = Leanda Cave 2007.jpg

| caption = Leanda Cave at the 2007 Salford Triathlon

| country = Great Britain
Wales

| nickname = Hoffi, Superbird

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|3|9|df=y}}

| birth_place = Louth, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{convert|1.78|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|58|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}

| turnedpro = 2000

| coach = Cliff English

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{GBR2}} }}

{{MedalCountry|{{WAL}} }}

}}

Leanda Cave (born 9 March 1978 in Louth, England) is a retired British triathlete. Cave is the 2002 World Triathlon Champion and the 2012 Ironman Triathlon and Ironman 70.3 World Champion, the first woman in the history of the sport to win both titles in the same year.{{cite web|url=http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2013/02/15/interview-leanda-cave-ironman-world-champion|title=Leanda Cave, Ironman World Champion|author=Ian Osborne|publisher=Competitor.com|date=15 February 2013|accessdate=21 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221003659/http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2013/02/15/interview-leanda-cave-ironman-world-champion|archive-date=21 February 2013|url-status=dead}} Cave competed internationally for Wales and Great Britain.

Early and personal life

Cave was born in Louth, Lincolnshire, England. At the age of four Cave's parents (her father was a carpenter) migrated to Queensland, Australia, where she went to school. Returning to England, as her mother is Welsh, she chose to represent Wales. Growing up Cave swam, ran cross country and was a surf lifeguard.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

In February 2013, Cave was diagnosed with skin cancer.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/wales/21533041|title=World Ironman triathlon champion has skin cancer|publisher=BBC Sport|date=21 February 2013|access-date=21 February 2013}}

Career

Cave entered her first triathlon at the encouragement of her sister, who already participated in them.[http://www.ryding2health.co.uk/default.asp?contentID=710 Leanda Cave: GB Elite Ironman triathlete]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

In 2001 Cave became European Under-23 champion. A year later she would internationally break through at the senior level as she won the silver medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. She won another silver medal at the European Championships, then had greater success when she took the gold and the World title in Cancún, Mexico in November 2002.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/wales/2441127.stm Cave clinches world title] In 2002, she was nominated for the Welsh Sports Personality of the Year Award.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/wales/2588991.stm Welsh Sports Personality of the Year 2002 Profiles - Leanda Cave]

Cave struggled with injury in 2003 and was unable to defend her world title,[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/3256538.stm Cave out of title defence] although she did take part in the BBC series Superstars.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_radio/superstars/profiles/3101374.stm Superstars Profiles - Leanda Cave]

Cave won her second world title in 2007 at the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in Lorient, France. On 28 March 2008, at the Ford Ironman 70.3 California triathlon, Cave came in third place behind Erika Csomor and Mirinda Carfrae. At the 2010 Ironman World Championship 70.3, she took second place.

On 30 April 2011, Cave won the Wildflower Long Course triathlon held at Lake San Antonio, California.{{cite web |url=http://raceresults.eternaltiming.com/index.cfm/20110430_AVIA_Wildflower_Triathlons.htm?Fuseaction=Results&Class=Long+Course+-+Elite+Professional%7ETop20 |title=AVIA Wildflower Triathlons (April 30, 2011) (Eternal Timing) |website=raceresults.eternaltiming.com |access-date=1 May 2011}} She also has won the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon in San Francisco, most recently on [http://www.raceresults360.com/rr360/race/57t4dt/#/results:&AthleteSearch=%28Enter%20Name,%20Bib%20No.,%20or%20City%29&Division=Women:1339510768983 10 June 2012]. Later that year she won her first Ironman event at Ironman Arizona.

On 9 September 2012, at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Cave came in first place. On 13 October 2012, at the Ironman World Championship, Cave came in first place. About 3 miles from the finish, Cave overtook Switzerland's Caroline Steffen who had held the lead in the run from the start and then went on to win the race. By winning both the 70.3 world championship and the Ironman World Championship in the same year, Cave became the first woman to ever achieve the 'double'. Australia's Craig Alexander accomplished this feat on the men's side in 2011.{{Cite web |url=http://triathlon.competitor.com/2012/10/news/australias-pete-jacobs-wins-2012-ironman-world-championship_64432 |title=Jacobs, Cave Win 2012 Ironman World Championship |access-date=14 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208053515/http://triathlon.competitor.com/2012/10/news/australias-pete-jacobs-wins-2012-ironman-world-championship_64432 |archive-date=8 December 2015 |url-status=dead }}

Cave struggled with injury in 2013 and though she made the start line in both events, she finished 12th in both the 70.3 and Ironman World Championships.

In 2014, Cave started the year focusing on short course triathlons in a bid to make the Team Wales Commonwealth Games Squad, which despite a series of good results in qualifying competitions, including a [https://web.archive.org/web/20160305101033/http://beyondgoinglong.co.uk/?p=4729 win at Valparaiso ITU World Cup] on 30 March 2014, ended with her non-selection for the games.{{Cite web |url=http://beyondgoinglong.co.uk/?p=4912 |title=Leanda Cave to miss out on Commonwealth Games | Beyond Going Long |access-date=30 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412231927/http://beyondgoinglong.co.uk/?p=4912 |archive-date=12 April 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}

Cave won Ironman Sweden 2014, finishing with the fastest times in all three disciplines.{{cite web |url=http://www.trirating.com/ironman-sweden-2014-analyzing-results/ |title=Ironman Sweden 2014 – Analyzing Results |last1=Thorsten |date=2014-08-21 |website=trirating.com/|accessdate=2014-08-23}}

References

External links

[http://www.leandacave.com Official website]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070926225351/http://www2.triathlon.org/profiles/prof-elite-women/leanda-cave.htm Triathlon.org Profile]

Category:1978 births

Category:Living people

Category:Sportspeople from Louth, Lincolnshire

Category:Welsh female triathletes

Category:English female triathletes

Category:Ironman world champions

Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Wales

Category:Triathletes at the 2002 Commonwealth Games

Category:Triathletes at the 2006 Commonwealth Games

Category:British expatriates in Australia

Category:British expatriates in the United States

Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in triathlon