Solveig Løvseth wins Ironman European Championship in Hamburg – Laura Philipp finishes second

Preparation marred by setbacks

Philipp's preparation for the race had been turbulent. Because of severe abdominal and back pain, she had to spend several days in a clinic instead of completing a planned altitude training camp in the mountains as intended. As she wrote from her hospital bed on Instagram: „Anstatt mein neues Jahr wie geplant mit viel Training in den wunderschönen Bergen zu beginnen, zwangen mich starke Bauch- und Rückenschmerzen dazu, die letzten Tage in der Klinik zu verbringen.“ She did not receive a precise diagnosis; the complaints were described as multicausal.

Despite these adversities, Philipp battled her way through the race. On the bike she had to cope with sometimes heavy rain and strong gusts. „Zweimal sei sie beinahe durch Böen vom Rad gefallen“, she reported. She reached the transition to the run about eight minutes behind Løvseth, in seventh position.

Comeback on the run

There, an impressive comeback began. Philipp significantly reduced her deficit on the course around the Alster. „Es war mental hart, aber irgendwie natürlich auch extrem cool, den Rückstand noch mal so zu reduzieren“, she said at the finish. In the end she missed the winner by 1:18 minutes. „Ich bin unglaublich stolz, dass ich das geschafft habe und noch so nah herangekommen bin“, the 39-year-old said. The 2024 world champion thus missed her third victory at the race and her fourth European title overall.

The Frenchwoman Marjolaine Pierré had initially led the bike segment and started the marathon in the lead. Løvseth overtook Pierré after less than four kilometers on the run and controlled the race from that point on. The professional field remained unaffected by an incident on the bike course.

Metal shavings on the bike course

Millimeter-sized metal shavings found on a section of the bike course on the asphalt caused a stir. According to police, the fragments were millimeter-sized tiny pieces. Around 50 participants were stopped by tire failures, police said. „Mutmaßungen, es handele sich um einen Anschlag oder Sabotage, bezeichnete er als „Spekulation“." According to media reports, up to 150 triathletes even had to interrupt their race. The professional field was not affected. „Über Verletzte war nichts bekannt."

In total, around 3,000 athletes from 60 nations took part in the event, including approximately 3,000 amateur starters. Access to the grandstands was free of charge. The Hamburg competition also awarded six starting slots for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii on October 10.

Outlook and reactions at the finish

Given her recent problems, Laura Philipp could not have expected her result. „Ich denke, ich kann aus diesem Ergebnis jetzt wirklich ein bisschen Selbstvertrauen herausschöpfen für den Rest der Saison", she said. „Mit Hamburg verbinde ich so viele positive Erinnerungen." Her next race is the Challenge Roth on July 5. „Am Montag sei sie noch in der Stadt und werde sich „auf jeden Fall das ein oder andere gönnen"." She is skipping a Franzbrötchen: „Ich habe über die letzten acht Stunden sehr, sehr viel Zucker gegessen. Jetzt hätte ich eher Lust auf eine Pizza oder etwas Salziges".

The competition was broadcast live from 6:10 a.m. The course routing through the Vier- und Marschlande had been modified for safety reasons. Due to residents' complaints about the heavy traffic restrictions in Bergedorf, a section along the dike is now once again open in both directions. Three years ago, at the men's European Championship, the rider of an escort motorcycle had died after a collision with an oncoming cyclist – the safety adjustments had been made against that backdrop.