Leanda Cave

Leanda Cave

Leanda Cave at the 2007 Salford Triathlon
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Hoffi, Superbird
Born	(1978-03-09) 9 March 1978 (age 38) Louth, England
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	58 kg (128 lb)
Sport
Country	Great Britain Wales
Turned pro	2000
Coached by	Cliff English
Medal record Women's triathlon Representing  Great Britain Ironman Triathlon World Championships 2012 Kailua-Kona Elite Ironman World Championship 70.3 2012 Las Vegas Elite 2010 Clearwater Elite 2007 Clearwater Elite ITU World Championships 2002 Cancún Individual ITU Long Distance World Championships 2011 Henderson Individual 2007 Lorient Individual ETU Triathlon European Championships 2002 Győr Individual European Under-23 Triathlon Championships 2001 Carlsbad Individual Representing  Wales Commonwealth Games 2002 Manchester Individual

Leanda Cave (born 9 March 1978 in Louth, England) is a British triathlete. World Triathlon Champion in 2002, she was also the 2012 Ironman Triathlon and Ironman 70.3 World Champion, the first woman in the history of the sport to win both titles in the same year. Cave competes internationally for Wales and Great Britain.

At the age of four Cave's parents (her father was a carpenter) moved to Queensland, Australia, where she went to school. Returning to England, as her mother is Welsh, she chose to represent Wales. Growing up Cave swam, ran cross country and was a surf lifeguard.

Cave met German triathlete Torsten Abel in 1999 in Portugal. They married in summer 2010, and moved to Tucson, Arizona. The couple are currently separated.

In February 2013, Cave was diagnosed with skin cancer.

Cave entered her first triathlon at the encouragement of her sister, who already participated in them.

In 2001 Cave became European Under-23 champion. A year later she would internationally break through at the senior level as she won the silver medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. She won another silver medal at the European Championships, then had greater success when she took the gold and the World title in Cancún, Mexico in November 2002. In 2002 she was nominated for the Welsh Sports Personality of the Year Award.

Cave struggled with injury in 2003 and was unable to defend her world title, although did take part in the BBC series Superstars.

Cave won her second world title in 2007 at the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in Lorient, France. On 28 March 2008, at the Ford Ironman 70.3 California triathlon, Cave came in third place behind Erika Csomor and Mirinda Carfrae. At the 2010 Ironman World Championship 70.3, she took second place.