Tough conditions in Hawaii: Anne Haug misses Ironman title and finishes third

Anne Haug cannot repeat her coup from Ironman 2019 and is third this year.

Tough conditions in Hawaii: Anne Haug misses Ironman title and finishes third

Anne Haug cannot repeat her coup from Ironman 2019 and is third this year. Surprise winner is Chelsea Sodaro from the USA. She ran her first Ironman ever this year, and triumphed right away in Hawaii.

Anne Haug missed the renewed title triumph at the Ironman World Championship, but achieved a podium place again. The 39-year-old professional triathlete from Bayreuth made it to third place on Thursday (local time) after swimming 3.86 kilometers, cycling 180.2 kilometers and running 42.2 kilometers.

The first German Ironman World Champion had to admit defeat at the finish in Kailua-Kona, this time to sensational winner Chelsea Sodaro from the USA in her World Championship debut in Hawaii and the British Lucy Charles-Barclay. Haug had already taken third place at the 2021 World Championships in St. George and 2018 in Hawaii, which were made up in May in St. George, and she won in 2019.

Fourth was Laura Philipp from Heidelberg with a strong performance in again tough conditions with great heat and high humidity. Without a time penalty of five minutes on the bike, the 35-year-old could have done better.

For winner Sodaro it is the biggest success of her career. The 33-year-old had become a mother a good year and a half ago and, after taking a baby break, competed in an Ironman for the first time in June in Hamburg. After second place in the Hanseatic city behind Philipp, Sodaro showed an impressive running performance in the final marathon on her Hawaii debut.

The professional men start this Saturday. Because of the many age group athletes due to the Hawaii failures in 2020 and 2021, the World Cup will be divided into two races for the first time.