Pro file: Marino Vanhoenacker

Marino Vanhoenacker rides his way to victory in Ironman Austria
2009. Photo source Commerzbank triathlon

Marino Vanhoenacker of Belgium has always been an athlete. As kids, he and his brother built an impromptu BMX circuit in their back yard, leading to a love affair with cycling that opened the door for Marino to consistent first-place bike splits. His lifetime of pedaling shone through in 2007, when Vanhoenacker had the third fastest pro bike split of the day in Kona.

Coming from a duathon background, Marino (or "Bink" to his friends) was not always a swimmer. He didn't dive into a pool and learn to swim until his last year at University, where he was studying to become a dietitian. In the same way Bink has relied on hard work to raise his swimming to a pro level, his journey to the top of the Ironman pyramid has been a difficult one. His first year in Hawaii, Bink "met the man with the hammer," as he puts it on his web site, and finished 54th. But as with any satisfying "bootstraps" story, Vanhoenacker's ends in victory. His resume now includes seven Ironman wins in five years, as well as two top-ten finishes in Kona. Vanhoenacker doesn't rely on extraordinary talent in only one sport to carry him to the front of the filed (although he is an extremely talented athlete), rather he wins his races with consistency by putting up top-notch times in the swim, bike, and the run; a talent that his Commerzbank teammate Normann Stadler calls "pure class." “He is a complete pro in all departments and is a great guy as well as a great sportsman. Under his new coach he has managed to improve his swimming massively. Nothing needs to be said about his cycling and running performance," Stadler said of Vanhoenacker in a recent press release. Perhaps the best example of Vanhoenacker's dedication came the day his daughter was born. Marino was competing in Denmark when his girlfriend, Elke went into labor. After a lousy race, Bink caught the next flight back to Belgium, but was too late to see the birth of his first-born.

Bink Vanhoenacker on his way to victory in Ironman 70.3 Antwerp
in 2008. Photo courtesy Marino Vanhoenacker

Stadler, a two-time Ironman world champion himself, is confident that Vanhoenacker has the talent to crack the top five in Kona this weekend, a sentiment echoed by Timo Bracht. "Marino is clearly a contender for victory and has already won two fantastic Ironman races this year," Bracht said. "I... have been unbelievably impressed by his modesty, determination and love of the sport.“ For every tri-geek who relies on hard work and passion for the sport to realize their triathlon dreams, Marino Vanhoenacker is their kind of champion.

Marino Vanhoenacker reports on his Kona preparation.

Marino “Bink” Vanhoenacker's Statistics

Nationality: Belgian
Age: 33
Career highlights:

• Four-time Ironman Austria winner (2006-2009)
• 1st place Ironman South Africa 2009
• 1st place Ironman Belgium, Brugge 2008
• 1st place Ironman Florida 2005
• 1st place Ironman 70.3 Antwerp in 2008 & 2009
• Two-time Belgian triathlon champion

What he rides: Scott Plasma 2

Team: Commerzbank
Sponsors: Nissan Demeyere, Belgian Military, Power Bar, Asics, Oakley, Scott, SRAM, SRM, Profile Design, Zipp