Laura Philipp has had the most successful year of her triathlon career, which the current Ironman world champion now wants to crown: by defending her title at the legendary World Championships in Hawaii.
It’s just a small detail, but if you look closely you’ll notice it straight away: Laura Philipp’s new bike has a gold screw at the very front of the handlebars. You can tell this so well because Philipp simply brought her bike with him to the press event before the Ironman World Championship (Saturday from 6:15 p.m. in the Sportschau stream). While she sits on a stool in a Hawaiian café and talks, her bike is parked next to her. Painted white, with pink accents – and that golden screw. “That makes me really proud”says Philip. You can see it in her eyes.
The golden screw stands for the World Cup title that the Heidelberg native won last year in Nice, southern France, and which she now wants to defend in Hawaii. “Winning here would be another crowning achievement”she says in an interview with Sportschau. Because: “The race in Hawaii obviously has the most tradition and this myth.” No triathlete will contradict her. The Pacific island at the other end of the world is the place where this sport is longed for; it was invented here and the conditions here are tougher than almost anywhere else. For some people, paradise can quickly turn into hell on Saturday. Philipp knows this, she is taking part in the race for the fourth time, two years ago she came third.
Laura Philipp was the first to cross the finish line at the 2024 World Cup in Nice
Heat training to prepare
In order to do even better this time, the 38-year-old prepared primarily for the heat. She and her husband Philipp Seipp, who is also her trainer, have been traveling to Hawaii for weeks. The body should acclimatize and adapt to the tropical temperatures with heat and high humidity. Philipp was often seen wearing thick clothes during training – despite 30 degrees. The body should train the heat.
You can tell that the crew around the world champion has once again devised a plan that will ultimately lead them to the top. We start with swimming, 3.8 kilometers through the Pacific – not exactly Philipp’s favorite discipline. In wild waters too. Just last week, Philipp met dolphins during a training session. “I was completely beside myself.” But around them were not only the cute mammals, but also jellyfish. “And suddenly, bang, bang, bang – there was a fire.” This can be fatal in a race.
Strong competition awaits
After swimming, Philipp wants to start catching up, first by bike, 180 kilometers through the lava desert Big Island. As a strong cyclist, she hopes for treacherous winds here. Afterwards, the heat training will pay off in the marathon through and around Kailua-Kona. It is quite possible that the competition will only be decided in the last few kilometers; The competition is strong, including from Philipp’s long-term rival Kate Matthews from Great Britain and her compatriot Lucy Charles-Barclay.
And yet Philipp can of course imagine what it would be like to win in Hawaii after Nice. “When I think about the energy of the island, when you get the wreath on your head as the winner – it gives me goosebumps. It’s a dream come true.” However, this would involve renovation work: a second golden screw would probably be needed on Philipp’s bike.