On Saturday the triathletes will be looking for their Ironman world champion in Hawaii. A legendary and merciless competition – with a top German favorite.
Why is the Ironman Hawaii so legendary?
Hawaii is the birthplace of the Ironman. It was here that a few athletes plunged into this wild adventure for the first time in 1978, and since then the Pacific island has been considered a place of longing for all triathletes. Whoever wins this myth is considered the queen of the scene.
What makes the competition so tough?
On the one hand, there are the sheer distances: 3.8 kilometers of swimming, 180 kilometers of cycling and finally a marathon of 42.195 kilometers. That alone brings a lot of beads of sweat to your forehead. Added to this are the climatic conditions in Hawaii. They can be merciless.
We swim early in the morning off the coast of the small town of Kailua-Kona in the open Pacific, and there is always something going on. Sometimes there are beastly waves, sometimes a surprising current or – like last year in the men’s race – stinging jellyfish.
Then we cycle along the coast on the highway through the vast lava fields of the Big Island. The wind can be quite treacherous here. All the energy is then needed for the marathon in the scorching heat and extreme humidity.
Laura Philipp is hoping for the title
Will Laura Philipp crown herself Queen of Kona?
Predictions are always difficult for an Ironman, but: Laura Philipp is better than ever. This season she impressively won every race she competed in. Above all, the epic fight at the European Championships in Hamburg in the pouring rain is remembered. The 38-year-old, who has been in Hawaii for weeks to acclimatize, will start in Kona as the reigning world champion.
She won the title last year when the World Cup took place for the last time in Nice due to the rotation principle that was temporarily introduced. The course there is completely different, but Philipp has already proven her strength in Hawaii. Two years ago she came third here. The following applies to the race on Saturday: Among the top favorites, Laura Philipp is probably the hottest tip for victory.
Co-favorite Karina Matthews
Who can prevent German victory?
There are three athletes worth paying particular attention to. On the one hand, there is the British Katrina Matthews, who fought an impressive head-to-head race with Philipp in Hamburg – and lost. She’s definitely looking for revenge. Then there is her compatriot Lucy Charles-Barclay, who won the last Hawaii race two years ago and appears in top form in time. The Brit, who as a strong swimmer will put pressure right from the start, loves racing in the Pacific.
Last but not least, we have to mention Taylor Knibb from the USA, a strong cyclist who came fourth behind Philipp two years ago. However, a surprise like in the men’s World Championship race, when the Norwegian Casper Stornes won, cannot be ruled out for the women either.
Anne Haug is no longer there
Where is Anne Haug?
The German fans will certainly miss Anne Haug painfully. The German world champion from 2019, who confidently reached the podium as runner-up in the last Hawaii race, ended her career this season due to persistent injury problems. A bitter loss.
A total of nine German professional women are competing in Kona, only the host country USA has more participants with 14. In addition to contender Laura Philipp, it is also worth taking a look at Anne Reischmann, who could make it into the top ten. Also there: Laura Jansen, Henrike Grüber, Jenny Jendryschik, Jana Uderstadt, Leonie Konczalla, Merle Brunée and Julia skala.
How can I follow the race live?
Good news: Sportschau is broadcasting the entire race from Hawaii in a live stream on sportschau.de and in the ARD media library. It starts on Saturday at 6.15 p.m., the finish is expected around three o’clock on Sunday night. From 12:55 a.m. the first thing on TV starts broadcasting, hr television is there at the start and then again from 9:45 p.m. Dirk Froberg and ARD expert Sebastian Kienle will comment on the race, and Sebastian Rieth will provide assessments of the route. The race can also be followed in the live ticker on sportschau.de.