Although Independence Day came and went Friday, Sunday, July 6 was certainly a day for fireworks, as Australian Luke Bell took the Ironman 70.3 Lake Stevens crown and short courser Mary Beth Ellis of Colorado took her first half-Ironman title.

Bell started the day strong, exiting the water just six seconds back of swim leader Bryan Rhodes of New Zealand. Then, although Aussies Joe Gambles (2:15:07) and Chris Legh (2:15:23) both turned in killer bike splits that put each man in hot contention for the win by T2, Bell's third-best 2:17:46 ride was enough to keep the 2006 race champ in the mix going into the final half-marathon. Bell then cranked up the heat on the run, using a smoking 1:14:02 run to edge Gambles by a mere second and take the repeat victory in 4:00:16. With his just-shy-of-gold 4:00:17 finish, Gambles continued a sizzling summer that includes a win at Battle at Midway Triathlon and third places at the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon and Ironman 70.3 Boise. Legh crossed the line 1:27 behind Gambles for third place.

In the women's event, few predicted Olympic-distance specialist and Team USA member Ellis would outpace the ladies of long course for the victory in Lake Stevens. But the Colorado-based Ellis showed half-Ironman grit the whole way through, establishing an early lead with a day's-best 27:52 swim that was almost two minutes better than next-closest female pro Emily Finanger. Ellis then rocked the hilly, two-loop bike with 2:36:22 split that kept her in the lead despite a strong push from Montanan Lindey Corbin and polished off the day with a 1:27:29 half-marathon. She crossed the line in 4:33:43, almost five minutes up on Corbin and over seven minutes ahead of a late-surging Fiona Docherty of New Zealand, who's day's-fastest 1:20:52 wasn't quite enough to bump the Kiwi up a podium step.

Ironman 70.3 Lake Stevens
Lake Stevens, Washington
Sunday, July 6, 2008
1.2mi S/56mi B/13.mi R

Men's Results
1. Luke Bell (AUS) 4:00:16
2. Joe Gambles (AUS) 4:00:17
3. Chris Legh (AUS) 4:01;44
4. Timothy Marr (USA) 4:13:59
5. Ben Hoffman (USA) 4:17:31

Women's Results
1. Mary Beth Ellis (USA) 4:33:43
2. Linsey Corbin (USA) 4:38:23
3. Fiona Docherty (NZL) 4:40:59
4. Kelly Couch (USA) 4:42:16
5. Magali Tisseyre (CAN) 4:42:40