The San Francisco T100 triathlon provided a dramatic spectacle as elite deboer athletes dove from a boat into the choppy, foggy and shark-inhabited waters of San Francisco Bay. This unique and daunting swim start surrounding the iconic Alcatraz Island set the stage for an epic showdown at the legendary Escape from Alcatraz triathlon venue.

To combat the treacherous conditions, all deboer athletes donned the brand's neoprene booties, gloves, and cutting-edge wetsuits for the grueling 2km swim leg. The waters were deemed dangerous, necessitating extensive on-course swim support and safety precautions. Athletes faced a 4 mph current, similar to swimming in a river's current. 

deboer's Bogen and Kanute Lead Dramatic Swim

Reigning IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion and deboer athlete Rico Bogen of Germany and fellow deboer pro Ben Kanute of the USA emerged tied for first out of the challenging swim. The duo battled the strong current, averaging an incredible 43 seconds per 100m pace while wearing deboer's hydrodynamic wetsuits to exit the water together after 14:08.

The top 19 men all emerged within a minute of each other, setting up a thrilling race as they headed onto the punishing 80km bike course. deboer's Bogen led for much of the event, staying at or near the front from the start gun.

deboer Women Shine in Adverse Conditions

Among the deboer women, Emma Pallant-Browne posted an 18:05 swim split while wearing deboer's elite swimwear on her way to an 8th place overall finish in 3:47:56. Amelia Watkinson, also representing deboer, clocked 18:05 for the swim, taking 10th in 3:56:06. Dutch deboer athlete Maya Koolhaas exited the water in 14:29 and finished 14th overall in 3:25:23.

Dramatic Finish After Epic Swim Start in deboer Gear

The dramatic swim start in deboer's state-of-the-art wetsuits set the tone for an incredible day of racing. In the end, Belgian Jelle Geens took the men's victory in 3:18:21. Beating out Smith by just one second and deboers athlete Bogen's third place by 3 seconds (3:18:24) finishing earned him points toward the T100 series standings.

Other deboer standouts included Bradley Weiss of South Africa, who finished 21st overall after exiting the treacherous swim in deboer gear with a 14:49 split.  deboer athlete Menno Koolhaas exited the water in a time of 14:29 and finished 13th overall in 3:25:23.

The unique T100 format, with its extreme swim start from a boat and point-to-point nature through the iconic San Francisco setting, made for a spectacular yet demanding day of racing. The challenging conditions in the choppy waters of San Francisco Bay tested the mental and physical toughness of athletes to the fullest.

Despite these  elements, deboer's elite triathletes demonstrated tremendous grit and perseverance in deboer's performance swimwear, laying the groundwork for impressive performances across all three disciplines. deboer's cutting-edge wetsuits, booties, and other swim gear enabling our athletes to perform at their highest level.

With this stellar showing on one of the sport's most iconic courses while wearing deboer wetsuits, the brand's athletes have established themselves as serious contenders in the T100 Triathlon World Tour, setting the stage for more dramatic battles in the upcoming races of the series.

Shop deboer's championship-winning wetsuits, swimskins and other gear at www.deboerwetsuits.com