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Tenby: 10,000 visitors for the excitement and thrill of Ironman 2017

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TENBY is welcoming over 10,000 visitors today (Sept 10) for the excitement and thrill of one of the world’s toughest races – Ironman Wales. Athletes from 45 countries are participating and are in Tenby for the county of Pembrokeshire’s biggest sporting event. The 2017 instalment of this epic test of human edurance will feature again some of the world’s best professional Ironman athletes competing alongside close to 2200 age group athletes.

Heading up the professional men’s field will be Frenchman Romain Guillaume and Bas Diederen from the Netherlands, along with Harry Wiltshire and Philip Graves from the UK.

As an athlete who thrives on tough courses, France’s Guillaume will be well-suited to the Ironman Wales bike course. He usually adopts the tactic of going hard on the bike, amassing a lead before holding off challenges on the run.

The course in Wales could play to his strengths giving him an early advantage. In terms of results, Guillaume has had a successful, but not perfect season so far.

A good win at Ironman 70.3 South Africa in January was followed up with second place finishes at Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire and Ironman 70.3 Dublin.

At IronmanUK he was in a strong position leading the race on the bike before a fall unfortunately ended his race prematurely.

The Netherlands’ Diederen is an Ironman champion with wins at Ironman Maastricht-Limburg to his name along with strong performances at big races. Similarly to Guillaume, the Dutch athlete is strong on the bike and usually attacks early.

Runner-up in 2016, Great Britain’s Philip Graves, returns to Wales this year with designs on the top spot after narrowly missing out last year.

Another athlete who is strong on the bike, Graves recorded the fastest professional bike split at Ironman Wales in 2016 and with Guillaume and Diederen in the field, an intriguing battle could develop.

Lucy Gossage will be the professional women’s favourite as she comes into the race in supreme form. Gossage has already won Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire and Ironman UK and recorded a second place at Ironman 70.3 Edinburgh.

She has been a near ever-present on the Ironman UK and Ireland calendar in 2017 but was forced to withdraw from Ironman 70.3 Dublin on race morning due to illness.

An athlete with experience at Ironman Wales is Great Britain’s Kate Comber.

Comber placed fifth in Wales in 2016 and has since kicked on, racing in strong fields in 2017.

She narrowly missed out on a top ten at the Ironman African Championship before a 6th place at Ironman Lanzarote and recently achieved her first Ironman podium at Ironman Maastricht-Limburg in the Netherlands with a well-earned third place. She will be aiming to move into the podium positions in Wales this year.

The USA’s Dede Griesbauer will also be one of the podium contenders in Tenby. Griesbauer is a three-time Ironman champion including Ironman UK and has multiple top ten finishes at the Ironman World Championship to her name. The American has the experience of racing at the top level and could be one to watch for a podium.

The 2017 edition of the race will see 2200 athletes from 45 different countries taking on the 2.4 mile swim at Tenby’s North Beach, 112 mile bike through Pembrokeshire and the 26.2 mile run in and around Tenby.

Of the total field, 38.6 per cent of the athletes racing will be racing at Ironman Wales for the first time and the race will once again have Wales rugby legends, Shane Williams and Ryan Jones taking part.

The 2017 edition of Ironman Wales takes place on Sunday with the race getting underway at 6.55 am from Tenby’s North Beach.

 

 

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Sheep rescue called off at Stack Rocks as coastguard urges public to stay back

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Public warned not to look over cliff edge as animals remain stranded near firing range

A RESCUE attempt to reach two sheep stranded below the cliffs at Stack Rocks has been called off, with the coastguard urging members of the public to stay well back from the cliff edge.

The sheep were seen on the rocky ground below the cliffs this afternoon, prompting concern from people in the area.

The Herald understands that a rescue attempt was made, but it was later stood down. The animals remain at the location.

A witness at the scene told The Herald that the coastguard was keen for the public to be warned not to approach the cliff edge or try to look down at the sheep.

The situation is further complicated by activity at the nearby firing range, where several days of live firing are understood to be scheduled, meaning a further rescue attempt is not currently possible.

Members of the public are being urged not to put themselves at risk by going near the edge of the cliffs.

Photo: The stranded sheep at Stack Rocks (Pic: Cerianne Palmer).

 

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Sub aqua club marks first serious sea-diving weekend of season

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CARDIGAN Sub Aqua Club has completed its first major weekend of sea diving of the season, with 23 divers taking part across four days.

The club rounded off the weekend on Monday (May 4), meeting at Porthgain at 8:30am with two club boats for a dive before returning by 2:00pm.

Ten divers took part in Monday’s outing, with the group diving on the Leysion, where visibility was reported at around three to four metres.

The club said the weekend had been an important opportunity for members to refresh skills, refamiliarise themselves with equipment and procedures, and give newer divers valuable sea experience.

There was also a milestone for club member Katie, who completed her first sea dive.

A club spokesperson said: “This has been the first serious club weekend out in the sea. Lots of refreshing of skills. Lots of refamiliarisation of kit and procedures. Some newbie experiences and some extending of experiences.”

The weekend also helped the club identify maintenance work needed on boats and trailers, with notes taken so the committee can prioritise resources.

The spokesperson added: “It’s been a good weekend for club diving — four days, two different locations and 23 different divers.”

The club said it will now focus over the next month on helping members who have not yet been back into the sea this season to get diving again and continue progressing with training.

Monday’s dive was followed by a debrief at The Sloop Inn, Porthgain.

 

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Fresh Hamilton wage claims raise new questions for Haverfordwest County fans

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Scottish reports of late and short wages add a new and more immediate concern for Bluebirds supporters already watching problems elsewhere in the same football network

REPORTS in Scotland that Hamilton Academical players were paid late, with some allegedly underpaid ahead of the club’s final game of the season, have added to scrutiny around the football network linked to Haverfordwest County AFC chairman Rob Edwards.

The latest claims were reported by Lanarkshire Live Sport and the Daily Record.

The relevance for Pembrokeshire lies in the links between Hamilton and Haverfordwest through Rob Edwards and Morley Sports Management.

Hamilton has previously stated that Morley Sports Management owns 100 per cent of 1874 Holdings Limited, and that 1874 Holdings in turn owns 97.5 per cent of Hamilton Academical FC.

Haverfordwest County has previously said Morley Sports Management has been the business vehicle behind Edwards’ takeover and funding of the Bluebirds since 2020.

Earlier this month, Haverfordwest County A.F.C. Ltd faced an HM Revenue & Customs winding-up petition at the High Court in London. The case was dismissed on April 15, but only after reaching a live hearing at the Rolls Building, with costs ordered against the company.

Separately, 1874 Holdings has faced a winding-up petition in Scotland. Hamilton later issued a statement acknowledging that petition, while saying the claim is disputed and that the company is seeking dismissal.

The latest Scottish wage claims come against a background of previous disciplinary action involving Hamilton. Earlier this year, the club was punished over failures to pay players on time and in full, resulting in a points deduction following an independent disciplinary process. Hamilton acknowledged that outcome in a club statement.

Companies House has also shown 1874 Holdings with overdue accounts and a strike-off notice. Those are separate processes from a winding-up petition, but they add to the list of recent off-field issues involving companies in the same football network.

There are also operational links between the two clubs. Haverfordwest publicly credited chief executive Beccy Nuttall with key work during the club’s licensing process earlier this month, while Hamilton has also announced Rebecca Nuttall in a senior role there.

The timing of the Haverfordwest case also drew attention because the club announced on April 8 that it had secured both its UEFA licence and FAW Tier 1 licence for the 2026-27 season, even though the HMRC petition remained live at that stage and was not disposed of until April 15.

The Herald contacted the Football Association of Wales for comment on the licensing position last week, but had received no response at the time of publication.

The Hamilton wage claims remain reports from Scotland, and there is no suggestion that Haverfordwest County AFC is facing the same issue. However, the developments are likely to be of interest to Bluebirds supporters because they concern companies and senior figures linked to the same wider football operation.

 

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