Ironman World Championship: Laura Philipp triumphs in Nice – defect drama for Haug

Ironman World Championship
Laura Philipp triumphs in Nice – defect drama for Haug

Laura Philipp triumphs at the Ironman World Championships in Nice thanks in part to her strong cycling performance. Photo: Daniel Karmann/dpa

Laura Philipp triumphs at the Ironman World Championships in Nice thanks to her strong cycling performance. Photo

© Daniel Karmann/dpa

She did it. At the age of 37, the Heidelberg native won the Ironman title for the first time – and at the women’s premiere in Nice. Co-favorite Anne Haug experienced a personal nightmare.

Laura Philipp has Ironman World Championship for women in Nice for the first time. On a dramatic day, especially for fellow favorite Anne Haug, the 37-year-old from Heidelberg triumphed at the finish line on the Promenade des Anglais after 3.86 kilometers of swimming, 180.2 kilometers of cycling and 42.2 kilometers of running.

World champion of 2023 had to pass

Philipp is only the second German Ironman World Champion after Haug’s World Championship triumph in 2019. A year ago, she finished third in the title decider in Hawaii behind Briton Lucy Charles-Barclay and Haug.

After Charles-Barclay’s cancellation due to muscular problems less than 24 hours before the start, the chances of the two German co-favorites had already increased further in the first women’s title award in France.

Then Haug had to give up after a good hour of racing. The 41-year-old from Bayreuth had come out of the water with Philipp. After a few hundred meters, however, she rode her bike to the side again. She had a cut in her tire. She didn’t have a second tire with her. Haug dropped out after hoping in vain for a mechanic for almost half an hour.

Reward for victory besides fame: 125,000 US dollars

Meanwhile, Philipp started to catch up on the bike and quickly made up time and places on the challenging route with around 2,400 meters of elevation, after starting in 13th place. After about half of the 180.2 kilometers, the former European champion had moved up to the front. On another climb, she increased the pace again, but was caught again by Briton Kat Matthews on a long descent.

After a somewhat hectic transition to the running track, she quickly caught up with her again and at times the two ran next to each other. After just over ten kilometers of the final marathon, Philipp pulled ahead and ran again and again with a smile on her face towards the greatest triumph of her career. In addition to the fame, she also received a bonus of 125,000 US dollars (around 112,000 euros) for the victory.

dpa

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