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Timothy O'Donnell

Visit Profile
83
World Rank
10
National
71
Swim
72
Bike
161
Run
United States
Weight
75kg
Height
1.82m
Age
43
Born
1980
Swim
Aqua Sphere
Bike
Trek
Run
Hoka One One
Biography More

Timothy O'Donnell

The USA’s Timothy O’Donnell has a lot to thank his older brother for. As well as setting him on the path to global success in long distance triathlon, that sporting direction would also lead to him meeting his future wife.

Sport started young for O’Donnell (also known as T.O.), joining his first swim team at the age of five, where he progressed fast. School records were broken and district championship titles earned, before his academic career would see him attend the United States Naval Academy, earning his Bachelor’s degree in Naval Architecture.

He continued competitive swimming alongside his studies, before his older brother forced him to trial for the Naval Academy Club Triathlon team. After two seasons of varsity swimming, he switched his attentions to triathlon, leading the Naval Academy to two US National Championship victories.

His education continued with a Master’s degree in Ocean Engineering earned at UC Berkeley as a Navy Ensign, and once again he successfully balanced study with his fast-improving triathlon career. That included the first of what would be six back-to-back Armed Forces Triathlon Championship wins.

2007 saw T.O. join the U.S. Olympic Training Centre in Colorado Springs, his talent and potential having been spotted by USA Triathlon.

Many Pan American Cup, ITU World Cup and World Championship appearances followed in short-course racing, but his true route to global success would not come from pursuing the Olympic dream.

That would become very clear in a breakthrough 2009 season, where his true talent was on show for all to see.

Finding his niche

O’Donnell had shown potential in longer distance racing a year previous, with two second-place finishes over the middle distance. If that planted a seed as to his future direction, 2009 would see those green shoots flourish.

IRONMAN 70.3 wins in St. Croix and Calgary proved his potential, and in a year that saw his podium collection reach double figures, he headed to the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championship in Perth, Australia. Running to victory, he had gone from long distance rookie to champion of the world in just 12 months.

As if to underline his status, a year later he added a Silver medal at the same championships, this time in Immenstadt, Germany.

Ever-consistent, more victories and podium places followed, and a debut over the full distance resulted in second at IRONMAN Texas 2011. O’Donnell was now showing that endurance racing was his true calling.

Another second place at IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene 2012 provided the route to his first appearance at the World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, an event that O’Donnell considers his favourite. For good reason as it is one which has provided many great memories.

At a venue which has humbled many a debutant, eighth place was a very impressive first attempt. He would subsequently add fifth (2013), third (2015), sixth (2016) and fourth (2018).

While his best was yet to come, the unforgiving nature of the Big Island would also provide some tough memories too. A torn oblique muscle in 2014 was one of his most painful racing experiences to date. Seeing his wife, Mirinda Carfrae, winning her third Kona title that day, hopefully, eased that pain.

With five top-10 Kona finishes already on his CV, O’Donnell should have been approaching the 2019 edition full of confidence, but not everything had gone to plan.

He explained: “It was definitely a tough year. I crashed my bike in Noosa in March. Then late this summer I had a kind of a weird deal.

“I broke my foot last year and it turned out that injury started making scar tissue instead of calcifying.”

Just weeks before Hawaii, he rolled his ankle and broke that foot again. Not even sure he would be able to start, aqua jogging and working on his cycling was his short-term approach. “I might as well give it a shot”, resulted in perhaps the best day of his career to date.

Right with the leaders out of the water, he was just 90 seconds down on the all-conquering Jan Frodeno at T2. Despite his interrupted preparations, O’Donnell would not give up that position for the entire 26.2 miles of the marathon.

While Frodeno was setting course-record figures ahead of him, T.O. would reach Ali’i Drive just eight minutes later, joining the very exclusive club of athletes to have finished in less than eight hours in Hawaii.

There have been plenty more highlights on the sporting journey of Timothy O’Donnell. IRONMAN wins in Boulder and Brazil, bronze at the 70.3 World Championship (2010) and Non-Drafting Triathlete of the Year awards from USAT.

Reaching that top step of the podium remains his top target. Modestly describing himself as, “A less than talented athlete that never gave up”, he has shown that could well be more than just a dream.

Family

Sporting results are not the most important things in the life of Timothy O’Donnell. “Family” is the thing that he can’t live without, and when things get tough, it is daughter Izzy that drives him on.

Long-term commitment and dedication are the consistent keys to success in triathlon, perhaps reflected in the best piece of training advice Tim has received.

“Decide what you want to be, pay the price and be what you want to be. You usually pay that price in training!”

Tim is also putting his extensive experience to good use, applying the skills from his academic, military and sporting careers as part of the Athlete Board of the PTO.

Current PTO World Ranking Points
83
PTO US Open 2023
74.67
Ironman 70.3 Gulf Coast 2023
72.02
Ironman 70.3 Peru 2023
70.91
Sum / 3
72.53
Ranking History
#5#50#95#140#1852011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023*20242011Overall26.51 pts#109Swim85.92 pts#12Bike60.47 pts#44Run44.55 pts#1092012Overall66.83 pts#20Swim88.76 pts#18Bike64.68 pts#44Run79.38 pts#192013Overall76.22 pts#10Swim91.13 pts#10Bike67.32 pts#28Run75.56 pts#212014Overall78.69 pts#18Swim91.50 pts#15Bike71.82 pts#45Run75.56 pts#352015Overall87.48 pts#14Swim89.62 pts#41Bike85.35 pts#27Run80.98 pts#302016Overall91.34 pts#12Swim92.00 pts#35Bike86.91 pts#36Run80.98 pts#402017Overall91.80 pts#16Swim92.00 pts#20Bike91.49 pts#20Run84.27 pts#342018Overall93.19 pts#18Swim94.85 pts#16Bike91.49 pts#23Run88.94 pts#262019Overall96.73 pts#10Swim96.97 pts#17Bike94.47 pts#24Run85.58 pts#392020Overall91.90 pts#13Swim93.55 pts#29Bike94.47 pts#20Run74.72 pts#592021Overall53.29 pts#150Swim93.61 pts#26Bike77.68 pts#70Run60.83 pts#1822022Overall86.01 pts#43Swim100.79 pts#21Bike91.21 pts#31Run77.69 pts#1202023Overall72.53 pts#82Swim72.22 pts#67Bike73.43 pts#70Run57.13 pts#1622024Overall72.53 pts#83Swim72.22 pts#71Bike73.43 pts#72Run57.13 pts#161

* New PTO World Ranking System implemented.

Results
62 Races8
1
14
2
6
3
2023
Points: NaN
DatePlaceRace
Swim
Bike
Run
OverallSOFPoints
04 Aug
20
PTO US Open
26:25
1:48:50
1:07:21
3:25:20
74.67
92.4674.67
13 May
4
Ironman 70.3 Gulf Coast
25:38
1:56:55
1:19:28
3:45:06
72.02
83.7772.02
23 Apr
1
Ironman 70.3 Peru
24:21
2:01:18
1:17:20
3:46:10
70.91
67.0770.91
2022
Points: NaN
DatePlaceRace
Swim
Bike
Run
OverallSOFPoints
08 Oct
13
Ironman Hawaii
48:22
4:13:29
2:56:02
8:02:57
80.59
91.4580.59
11 Sep
2
Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz
22:16
2:04:43
1:14:14
3:45:33
72.25
65.2972.25
12 Jun
3
Ironman Des Moines
48:53
4:12:11
3:01:03
8:10:06
74.59
70.1974.59
22 May
6
Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga
24:42
2:00:28
1:15:00
3:42:58
73.73
78.0273.73
2021
Points: NaN
DatePlaceRace
Swim
Bike
Run
OverallAITPoints
12 Mar
11
Challenge Miami
20:20
1:25:16
57:27
2:44:56
78.2972
02:39:4478.30
2020
Points: NaN
DatePlaceRace
Swim
Bike
Run
OverallAITPoints
06 Dec
16
Challenge Daytona
23:15
1:40:14
1:04:47
3:10:14
81.5732
03:05:0781.57
24 Oct
10
The Great Floridian
15:51
1:44:59
49:12
2:53:02
0
02:27:23-
2019
Points: NaN
DatePlaceRace
Swim
Bike
Run
OverallAITPoints
24 Nov
7
Ironman Cozumel
39:18
4:18:04
3:03:18
8:06:08
63.2724
07:40:4563.27
12 Oct
2
Ironman Hawaii
47:38
4:18:11
2:49:45
7:59:41
104.578
08:03:00104.58
27 Jul
2
Ironman 70.3 Santa Rosa
24:29
2:03:56
1:13:38
3:47:24
87.4552
03:43:1287.46
09 Jun
3
Ironman Boulder
49:46
4:09:22
3:05:32
8:09:37
83.6553
07:57:5483.66
2018
Points: NaN
DatePlaceRace
Swim
Bike
Run
OverallAITPoints
02 Dec
DNF
Ironman Mar del Plata
--:--
--:--
--:--
--:--
07:25:41-
18 Nov
4
Challenge Taiwan Half
24:14
2:04:31
1:21:50
3:55:36
63.3306
03:43:1963.33
13 Oct
4
Ironman Hawaii
47:45
4:18:45
2:52:33
8:03:17
97.0209
08:01:0897.02
23 Sep
1
Ironman 70.3 Augusta
--:--
--:--
--:--
3:42:07
88.6031
03:38:2388.60
05 Aug
1
Ironman 70.3 Gdynia
23:02
2:07:13
1:14:16
3:47:41
73.9358
03:39:0773.94
28 Jul
4
Ironman 70.3 Santa Rosa
--:--
2:06:55
1:15:59
3:24:49
52.1484
03:11:0652.15
10 Jun
4
Ironman Cairns
46:42
4:24:58
2:46:00
8:00:54
88.1721
07:52:3188.17
13 May
4
Ironman 70.3 Monterrey
23:39
1:58:07
1:17:56
3:42:38
68.5377
03:32:3668.54
22 Apr
2
Ironman 70.3 Florianopolis
22:48
2:08:15
1:15:27
3:50:22
75.6012
03:42:1475.60
2017
Points: NaN
DatePlaceRace
Swim
Bike
Run
OverallAITPoints
12 Nov
4
Ironman 70.3 Los Cabos
--:--
--:--
--:--
3:51:43
74.4069
03:43:0974.41
14 Oct
19
Ironman Hawaii
48:38
4:25:10
3:15:55
8:33:53
70.0882
08:11:4970.09
10 Sep
3
Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz
10:22
2:06:49
1:14:18
3:35:31
82.2152
03:29:5582.22
11 Jun
1
Ironman Boulder
49:20
4:24:25
2:53:55
8:13:30
93.865
08:09:0093.86
13 May
3
Ironman 70.3 Santa Rosa
23:33
2:11:21
1:14:16
3:54:19
64.5417
03:42:2964.54
02 Apr
2
Ironman 70.3 Texas
24:36
2:02:06
1:17:15
3:46:19
81.9997
03:40:2282.00
19 Mar
2
Ironman 70.3 Taiwan
22:47
2:00:24
1:17:13
3:45:31
88.6759
03:41:4588.68
27 Jan
9
Ironman 70.3 Dubai
24:28
2:01:11
1:18:24
3:47:53
60.2707
03:35:0460.27
2016
Points: NaN
DatePlaceRace
Swim
Bike
Run
OverallAITPoints
08 Oct
6
Ironman Hawaii
48:12
4:29:10
2:55:01
8:16:20
92.8729
08:11:0592.87
21 Aug
4
Ironman 70.3 Timberman
23:58
2:10:41
1:18:53
3:56:06
61.7327
03:43:1761.73
03 Jul
25
Ironman Frankfurt
48:31
4:39:34
3:39:55
9:12:58
0
07:54:10-
07 May
9
Ironman 70.3 St. George
23:11
2:12:11
1:20:34
3:59:07
68.8214
03:48:2668.82
20 Mar
1
Ironman 70.3 Puerto Rico
24:17
2:04:24
1:17:47
3:50:53
84.8407
03:45:4584.84
2015
Points: NaN
DatePlaceRace
Swim
Bike
Run
OverallAITPoints
10 Oct
3
Ironman Hawaii
52:24
4:26:13
2:55:46
8:18:50
95.8311
08:15:4495.83
16 Aug
2
Ironman 70.3 Timberman
24:02
2:09:00
1:16:34
3:51:29
81.2978
03:45:1081.30
12 Jul
4
Ironman 70.3 Vineman
22:44
2:05:22
1:17:40
3:49:16
73.1276
03:40:2373.13
31 May
2
Ironman Brasil
47:03
4:19:26
2:45:52
7:55:56
85.3262
07:45:4185.33
05 Apr
2
Ironman 70.3 Brasilia
24:20
1:59:03
1:16:20
3:42:40
79.2647
03:35:5779.26
2014
Points: NaN
DatePlaceRace
Swim
Bike
Run
OverallAITPoints
06 Dec
DNF
Challenge Bahrain
--:--
--:--
--:--
--:--
03:33:57-
16 Nov
5
Ironman Arizona
48:07
4:26:03
2:53:01
8:11:00
79.7612
07:56:3279.76
11 Oct
32
Ironman Hawaii
51:04
4:37:02
3:52:30
9:25:13
0.997923
08:12:081.00
08 Jun
2
Ironman 70.3 Eagleman
25:42
2:05:25
1:14:39
3:47:32
73.6014
03:38:5273.60
04 May
1
Ironman 70.3 St. Croix
25:39
2:19:46
1:20:09
4:07:00
63.5639
03:54:1263.56
06 Apr
2
Ironman 70.3 Brasilia
24:10
2:05:42
1:16:56
3:49:39
56.1709
03:35:2956.17
2013
Points: NaN
DatePlaceRace
Swim
Bike
Run
OverallAITPoints
02 Nov
33
Ironman Florida
50:00
4:45:38
3:31:16
9:15:54
0
07:35:00-
12 Oct
5
Ironman Hawaii
51:04
4:35:37
2:51:07
8:22:25
80.7268
08:08:1880.73
08 Sep
8
Ironman 70.3 World Championship
23:33
2:16:11
1:16:32
3:59:36
0
--
26 May
1
Ironman Brasil
44:24
4:22:23
2:50:18
8:01:32
81.2344
07:48:2181.23
2012
Points: NaN
DatePlaceRace
Swim
Bike
Run
OverallAITPoints
13 Oct
8
Ironman Hawaii
51:37
4:44:15
2:53:59
8:33:28
78.0274
08:17:0578.03
09 Sep
4
Ironman 70.3 World Championship
23:28
2:14:02
1:15:51
3:56:35
0
--
24 Jun
2
Ironman Coeur d'Alene
49:20
4:56:22
2:52:59
8:41:36
49.6907
08:05:0049.69
2011
Points: NaN
DatePlaceRace
Swim
Bike
Run
OverallAITPoints
19 Nov
28
Ironman Arizona
48:43
4:22:58
3:44:23
8:59:36
1.08656
07:49:531.09
15 Oct
DNF
Ironman Hawaii
--:--
--:--
--:--
--:--
08:10:17-
21 May
2
Ironman Texas
49:14
4:28:04
2:49:02
8:09:50
78.4569
07:54:3078.46
2010
Points: NaN
DatePlaceRace
Swim
Bike
Run
OverallAITPoints
13 Nov
3
Ironman 70.3 World Championship
23:20
2:04:52
1:12:43
3:44:18
0
--
31 Jul
2
ITU Long Distance
48:41
3:41:19
1:56:35
6:29:35
0
--
2009
Points: NaN
DatePlaceRace
Swim
Bike
Run
OverallAITPoints
14 Nov
12
Ironman 70.3 World Championship
21:52
2:04:02
1:13:06
3:42:17
0
--
21 Oct
1
ITU Long Distance
40:10
1:53:37
1:12:00
3:48:15
0
--
2008
Points: NaN
DatePlaceRace
Swim
Bike
Run
OverallAITPoints
08 Nov
16
Ironman 70.3 World Championship
22:54
2:04:22
1:21:18
3:51:50
0
--
Ranking per Season
Overall
Year
Points
Position
2024
72
83
2023
72
82
2022
86
43
2021
53
150
2020
91
13
2019
96
10
2018
93
18
2017
91
16
2016
91
12
2015
87
14
2014
78
18
2013
76
10
2012
66
20
2011
26
109
Swim
Year
Points
Position
2024
72
71
2023
72
67
2022
100
21
2021
93
26
2020
93
29
2019
96
17
2018
94
16
2017
92
20
2016
92
35
2015
89
41
2014
91
15
2013
91
10
2012
88
18
2011
85
12
Bike
Year
Points
Position
2024
73
72
2023
73
70
2022
91
31
2021
77
70
2020
94
20
2019
94
24
2018
91
23
2017
91
20
2016
86
36
2015
85
27
2014
71
45
2013
67
28
2012
64
44
2011
60
44
Run
Year
Points
Position
2024
57
161
2023
57
162
2022
77
120
2021
60
182
2020
74
59
2019
85
39
2018
88
26
2017
84
34
2016
80
40
2015
80
30
2014
75
35
2013
75
21
2012
79
19
2011
44
109
TEST