It’s that time again – and yet a lot is different this time: For the first time, only women are starting at the Ironman World Championship on Saturday in Hawaii. German favorites will also be at the 2023 World Cup.
It will be the next big World Cup premiere this year. This time the Ironman stage belongs only to women in Hawaii.
A month after the thrilling men’s race with Patrick Lange’s runner-up title behind the Frenchman Sam Laidlow in Nice on the Côte d’Azur, the women around the German former world champion Anne Haug will start this time in the long-distance triathlon’s longing place on Saturday.
3.86 kilometers swimming, 180.2 kilometers cycling, 42.2 kilometers running. And the best of the best have signed up.
Ironman World Championships 2023: Why are only women starting in Hawaii this time?
It started with the corona pandemic and, above all, many age group athletes who had qualified and were literally piling up.
There was no race in Hawaii in 2020 and 2021. In 2022 it became a mammoth event with twice the number of participants.
In order to be able to cope with this, for the first time the competition started on two days, with professional women and men separated from each other.
Prices on the island exploded, but the crowds were too much for those in charge of the small town of Kailua-Kona, including two days of racing. Ironman had to act and announced the much-discussed innovation. In 2024 the women will start in Nice, the men can then compete in Hawaii.
Ironman World Cup 2023: What are the chances of a German winner?
They are definitely not small. Above all, Anne Haug is once again one of the top favorites.
The 40-year-old from Bayreuth was the first German to win in Hawaii in 2019. Last year Haug came third – ahead of Laura Philipp.
After finishing fourth, the 36-year-old Philipp from Heidelberg wants to finally reach the podium at the World Cup as a two-time European champion.
The professional women from Germany also include Daniela Bleymehl, Laura Zimmermann and Laura Janssen.
Ironman World Championships 2023: Who are the biggest competitors for victory?
It’s very big, the competition.
Chelsea Sodaro from the USA wants to defend her title from last year, five-time world champion Daniela Ryf from Switzerland wants to complete half a dozen.
Four-time vice world champion Lucy Charles-Barclay from Great Britain finally crossed the finish line first.
Another five or six triathletes can be expected to fight for a place on the podium.
Where will the 2023 Women’s Ironman World Championship be broadcast?
Fans can follow the live stream online at the sports show, the broadcast starts at 6:15 p.m. HR television has also been there from the start.
The broadcast will resume after an interim break at 9:45 p.m. From 1:15 a.m. the ultimately decisive phase of the race will also be shown on ARD.