This was our preview of IRONMAN 70.3 European Championship Tallinn 2023 – you can click here for full results and report on how Laura Philipp and Pieter Heemeryck claimed victories in the pro races.
Estonia will play host at the IRONMAN 70.3 European Championships this weekend, with a number of middle-distance pros making the trip to Tallinn to make up a strong field.
Offering qualifying slots to the 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Taupo and a solid prize purse, the event will be hotly contested, with the likes of Emma Pallant-Browne and Pieter Heemeryck leading the charge.
We have everything you need to know about the race, including start times, how to follow live and a full rundown of the men and women’s fields.
Start time and tracking
The race takes place on Sunday August 6 and starts in the beautiful Lake Harku. The pro race will start off with the men at 10:00 local time. That corresponds to 08:00 in the UK, 09:00 CET and 03:00 Eastern Time.
As always, the ever reliable IRONMAN Tracker is the perfect data addition to follow loved ones or the professionals. If you haven’t got it on your phone already, where have you been?!
Pro Women – Philipp vs Pallant-Browne vs Norden
We are going to have a serious battle on our hands for the European title, with a high-quality field possessing the capabilities to spark fireworks in Tallinn. PTO World #7 Laura Philipp and PTO World #8 Emma Pallant-Browne are both world-class contenders.
Pallant-Browne hasn’t been off a half-distance podium since the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in 2021, whilst Philipp likewise has enjoyed a golden period over the distance as of late, with 15 IRONMAN 70.3 podiums since she last finished off the steps in 2017.
Sweden’s Lisa Norden, who is the PTO World #11, will be another threat for the win, but will have to build a solid gap over the bike course to stay away from the fast running Philipp and Pallant-Browne. This trio, on paper, should have the podium locked down but there is always room for surprises.
Spaniard Sara Perez Sala is another athlete with the quality to make the podium, whilst Switzerland’s Imogen Simmonds and Kiwi Amelia Watkinson will harbour ambitions of upsetting the pre-race favourites and sneaking on to the podium themselves.
Pro Men – Heemeryck bids to continue fine form
In the men’s race, Belgian Heemeryck is the top-ranked athlete, with the PTO World #15 enjoying a fine season of racing so far in 2023, with strong performances across the board including an impressive second at IRONMAN Hamburg prior to an unfortunate DNF at Challenge Roth.
Spaniard Antonio Benito Lopez, similarly to Heemeryck, possesses a run leg which the rest of the field should fear, after running away with the win in his last race at IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea. Additionally, Lopez was second on home turf at the World Long Distance Championships in Ibiza, so will be hungry for another podium.
Jan Stratmann, consistent in all of his races thus far this season after shaking off an injury which prevented him from finishing Challenge Gran Canaria has the capacity to finish highly, with the German accompanied by countryman Tom Hug, who won Challenge St Polten for his first pro win in May.
Finally, Kiwi Mike Phillips, quite possibly the most aero athlete in long-course triathlon, starts off his European tour in Tallinn. The New Zealander, who enjoyed a wildly successful domestic season at the start of the year with two wins and two second place finishes, will be one to watch and has the bike power to blow the field apart.
Prize Money: What’s on the line?
The prize purse on offer this weekend is $75,000 – with each of the winners collecting a $12,000 share of that total.
In addition to money, there will be a total of six qualifying slots (three MPRO / three FPRO) for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Taupo, New Zealand in 2024.
The total funds will be paid ten-deep, as follows:
- $12,000
- $7,000
- $4,250
- $3,500
- $2,750
- $2,250
- $2,000
- $1,500
- $1,250
- $1,000
Laura Siddall: 10 things I’ve learned from my professional triathlon career
