Flinta, Stockton Top Amateur Returners

Trying to guess who will win the overall amateur titles at the XTERRA World Championship is a tough task. With hundreds of the fastest XTERRA age group competitors representing every country on the World Tour, there’s just no way of telling who is coming in healthy, happy, and fast as ever.

History, however, can tell us who has done well here before.

In the men’s amateur chase Martin Flinta from Sweden (pictured), the reigning and two-time XTERRA 40-44 World Champ, is the top returner from last year. He finished third amateur, 24th overall, with a time of 2:57:10.

Other first-page finishers include 20-24 winner Charly Sibille from France (2:58:08), 35-39 champ Oscar Garcia from Argentina (2:59:28), 15-19 champ Hayden Wilde from New Zealand (2:59:46), 30-34 runner-up Alexandre Montel from France (3:00:57), and six-time 45-49 champ Cal Zaryski from Canada (3:01:09).

There’s a lot of new names ready to jump in the conversation as well like Kiwi Lewis Ryan who was the overall amateur champ at the XTERRA Pan America and Asia-Pacific Tour finales, Cedric Wane from Tahiti who was the top amateur at XTERRA Beaver Creek, Xavier Dafflon who was the top amateur at XTERRA France, and some of America’s best including Nelson Hegg, Garren Watkins, and Rife Hilgartner.

Trust we missed some contenders, and they’ll let us know on Sunday afternoon!

In the women’s race the reigning and 3x 40-44 XTERRA World Champ Mimi Stockton is the top returner. The 44-year-old mother of three from Michigan was the third amateur last year (behind Julie Baker and Liz Gruber who both turned pro) with a time of 3:29:06. Other top returners include Lydia Hale from New Zealand (3:41:44), and Kelli Montgomery from Connecticut (3:41:48).

Clara Clemmensen, who won the 15-19 division, is back in Maui along with her entire family, as is 45-49 champ Catherine Gance from France, 50-54 champ Carol Rasmussen from Denmark, 60-64 champ Cindi Toepel from Nevada (she says this is her last race), 65-69 winner Libby Harrow from Colorado, and 8x winner Wendy Minor (70-74) from the Big Island.

Some of the girls looking to add their name to the list of champions include Josie Sinclair from New Zealand, Ana Creus from Spain, and Americans Courtney Kaup from Vermont, Anne Usher from Oregon, and Jennifer Razee from Colorado.

Every year in Maui we see a new star emerge, and trust 2016 will be no different.

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