Dave Scott (triathlete) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dave Scott

Dave Scott
Medal record
Men's triathlon
Representing  United States
Ironman World Championship
Gold	1980	Elite
Gold	1982 (Oct)	Elite
Gold	1983	Elite
Gold	1984	Elite
Gold	1986	Elite
Gold	1987	Elite
Silver	1982 (Feb)	Elite
Silver	1989	Elite
Silver	1994	Elite

Dave Scott (born January 4, 1954) is a famous American triathlete. He was the first person to win the Ironman World Championship six times! He won in 1980, twice in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1987.

Dave Scott is known as "The Man" because of his super tough training and amazing race performances. In 1993, he was the first person to be put into the Ironman Hall of Fame.

Even when he was older, Dave Scott kept competing. In 1994, at 40 years old, he almost won the Hawaii Ironman World Championship again, finishing second. Two years later, in 1996, at age 42, he raced again and finished 5th. He even ran the marathon part of the race in a very fast time of 2 hours and 45 minutes!

Dave Scott's Early Life and Sports

Dave Scott grew up in Davis, California. When he was in middle school, he enjoyed playing basketball and football. He was also a talented water polo player at Davis High School and later at UC Davis. At college, he started to focus more on swimming. Dave Scott was a great swimmer and won the Waikiki Rough Water Swim twice. This swim is part of a big open water swimming event.

How Dave Scott Discovered Ironman

In 1978, a US Navy Commander named John Collins created the Ironman race. He combined three tough existing races: a long swim, a long bike ride, and a marathon run. Dave Scott first heard about this new race from an article in Sports Illustrated magazine.

Commander Collins gave Dave a flyer about the race. Dave remembers looking at it and seeing the distances: a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run. He thought, "That’s a long three days!" But the idea of people doing all that in one day really amazed him. Before this, Dave had already won a smaller triathlon event in San Francisco. It was a nine-mile bike ride, a four-mile run, and a 1,500-meter swim. His prize for winning that race was a turkey!

Dave Scott's Amazing Triathlon Career

Dave Scott competed in his first Ironman race in 1980. He finished in 9 hours, 24 minutes, and 33 seconds. This was almost two hours faster than the previous winner! This race was also special because ABC Wide World of Sports showed it on TV from Kona for the first time. Many people believe that Dave Scott's fast time and how he raced changed the Ironman. It became less about just finishing and more about racing to win.

Dave Scott returned to the Ironman in 1982 and finished second. But in 1983, he won the race. This was also the first Ironman for another famous triathlete, Mark Allen. Dave Scott and Mark Allen became big rivals. Dave went on to win three of the next four Ironman races against Mark Allen.

Dave Scott's Proudest Race

Dave Scott has said that he is most proud of his performance in the 1994 Ironman. He finished second again that year. What made it so special was that he was 40 years old at the time! His race was seen as an amazing achievement for someone his age.

Two years later, in 1996, Dave Scott raced again and finished fifth overall. His last time competing in the Ironman was in 2001. He was 47 years old then, but he had back problems from some last-minute changes to his bike. This made him unable to finish the race.

The "Ironwar" Rivalry

In 1989, the competition between Dave Scott and Mark Allen was at its highest point. This race is often called the "Ironwar" or "The Greatest Race Ever Run." Dave Scott explained that he didn't just focus on Mark Allen. He focused on his own race. But he admitted that their strong competitive spirits made the race very close. They were "bouncing off of one another" during the race. In the end, Mark Allen won, and Dave Scott finished second. Both of them broke Dave Scott's old course record!

Dave Scott's Ironman Results

DNC - Did not compete
DNF - Did Not Finish
(In 1982, the Ironman World Championship happened twice. This was because it moved from February to October. Dave Scott was second in the February race and won in October.)

Dave Scott's Life After Competing

Dave Scott was married to a swimmer and they had three children. He is now divorced and lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Today, Dave Scott works as a triathlon coach, helping other athletes. He is also a fitness consultant and a motivational speaker. He gives talks to inspire people and works as a consultant for companies. In 1986, he wrote a book called Dave Scott's triathlon training. Since 1999, he has been the head coach for Team in Training. He helps train coaches for this program across the country.

Dave Scott has tried different diets, including vegetarian and vegan. Since 1994, he has eaten chicken and fish. He has also talked about how important Omega 3s are for a healthy diet.

See also

In Spanish: Dave Scott para niños