Triathlon
As of: June 7, 2026 10:25 a.m
All good things come in threes! Defending champion Laura Philipp will again be the favorite at the women’s Ironman European Championships in Hamburg on Sunday. But: The triathlete had to go to the hospital during preparation.
It happened at the altitude training camp in April. “Instead of starting my new year as planned with a lot of training in the beautiful mountains, severe stomach and back pain forced me to spend the last few days in the clinic,” the 39-year-old wrote on Instagram at the time from her hospital bed.
The Heidelberg woman felt better again a few days later. However, she did not receive a precise diagnosis for her symptoms. The problem was multifactorial. But Philipp doesn’t want to let this setback stop him. Quite the opposite. After her triumph last year at the Ironman European Championships in Hamburg, she is now aiming to defend her title. After 2022 and 2025, it would be the Hanseatic city’s third gold.
Video:
Women’s Ironman European Championships on Sunday in Hamburg (1 min)
Ironman live
The race with 3.8 kilometers of swimming, 180 kilometers of cycling and the final marathon run (42.195 kilometers) will be live on Sunday from 6:10 a.m. The start is at the Binnenalster. The target at the town hall market. Access to the stands is free.
Duel with Solveig Lövseth
Philipp is looking forward to the starting signal: “I have so many positive memories with Hamburg,” she beams. Her biggest competitor on Sunday is the Norwegian world champion Solveig Lövseth. A total of 3,000 athletes from 60 nations are taking part.
