Americans ruled the roost in winning seven of the first nine Ironman New Zealand Championships but since Ken Glah's second triumph in 1993, only once, in 1999 when Tim DeBoom won, has an American stood atop the dais.
These days it is more likely Australians or Europeans -male or female - will challenge New Zealanders Cameron Brown and Jo Lawn here. Not one American man or woman is seeded in the top 10 for next Saturday's 25th Bonita Ironman New Zealand Championship in Taupo.
American Scott Molina, who won the first New Zealand Ironman in 1985 - the first to be held away from the sport's spiritual home in Hawaii - says there are a number of reasons for the fall-off in American domination.
Molina, now living in Christchurch and married to former world No 1 Erin Baker, said in those early days race organisers used to bring top Americans to race here.
"Now, and with the New Zealanders like Cam Brown and Jo Lawn being so good, there is not the need to pay to bring athletes from America," said Molina. "If you have your own drawcards you have to wonder how much effort is put into attracting foreigners.
"The race I won was the first in a licensed Ironman outside Hawaii. It was one of only five to be held internationally at that time. Now there are 22 official Ironman races and other series which present 40-50 paydays a year for the elite athletes."
Molina said that despite the perceived lack of success, the sport continued to flourish in his homeland.
A record field of 1495, from 40 countries, have entered and will face the swim start next Saturday morning.
A record 842 New Zealanders will be lining up at the start this year, well ahead of the combined tally from the rest of the world. Just 68 New Zealanders followed Molina home in that first race.
