Armstrong to take on Ironman Worlds in 2011 according to coach

Lance Armstrong will compete in the in the 2011 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, according to his coach Chris Carmichael. Carmichael was speaking in Kona as he was there for the 2009 World Championships this weekend, on a video posted on EveryManTri.com.

Carmichael said in the video that everyone had been asking him whether Armstrong would be competing and he said: “2011, he’ll be here. He's superpsyched, you know, and I think he wants to do more than win his age group," said Carmichael, and the field will not be taking Armstrong’s threat lightly, that’s for sure.

Armstrong has alluded to taking part in it and the rumours have been doing the rounds for some time. He began his professional sports career as a triathlete before cycling, and this will be his first participation in the Ironman World Championships.

Last week it was also reported in the New York Times that Armstrong had inquired about a role in the New York City Marathon again, this time running only part of the race as a pacesetter for Joan Benoit Samuelson.

Armstrong had hoped to accompany Samuelson to the finish line as she did for him by running the final miles of the 2006 New York City Marathon, but the rules do not allow him to do so and he could decline to run.

Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner, ran the New York City Marathon twice during his three-year hiatus from cycling.

Both developments would fall in line with an announcement made by the sponsor of his new professional cycling team, RadioShack, which said that as part of its sponsorship arrangement, the 38-year-old would participate in cycling, running and triathlon events around the world.