There was one key question – or the same question to two people especially – that everyone at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship pre-race press conference was eager to know the answer to.
And that was how have Taylor Knibb and Lucy Charles-Barclay recovered and fared since their brutal DNFs at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona?
The pair were seemingly battling it out for victory on the Big Island only for the hot and humid conditions to stop first Charles-Barclay and then Knibb in their tracks deep into the run.
Many wondered if we would see them on a start line again this season but fast forward less than four weeks and they were both on the panel ahead of Saturday’s 70.3 Worlds in Marbella, Knibb of course looking for a fourth straight win in the event while LCB was the last person to triumph before that sequence started.
Last minute trip
MC Paul Kaye asked Knibb first about Kona and the response was typically honest and effusive: “Well, I have a short answer because I don’t remember most of it, but I’m very grateful to be here.
“It was a very last minute and spontaneous trip to Europe. I got the go-ahead last Tuesday and we got our flights Friday night.”
Knibb explained that the call to race was made between her whole team, including the medical side and her coach Dan Lorang, who also looks after Charles-Barclay, saying it was reached very much on a “mutual respect” basis.
“So last week I got to do intensity training again so I’m very excited to be here.”
And when it was put to her that she wouldn’t have travelled to Spain if she didn’t feel there was a strong possibility she could defend her title, Knibb replied: “That’s fair. A very good assumption. But I also think that having seen the course, it’s very cool. It’s just really nice and pretty different. So I’m glad I’m not missing out on that.
“And I think one thing I’ve learned over the last few years is if I feel healthy enough to be on the start line, then I’ll definitely be there and it’s not something I take for granted. So I’m excited for another opportunity.”
Added motivation
And thankfully Charles-Barclay has also recovered sufficiently to race – and will do so with some added motivation and inspiration.
She explained: “I’ve had two wins on Spanish soil this year [IRONMAN Lanzarote and Spain T100], so it definitely brings the good energy.
“And yeah, who knows what I can do but I think flying back to the UK after Kona kind of put you straight back to reality. It’s cold and grey and miserable. And we had quite a lot going on. We lost someone really special to us over the last few weeks… so he will definitely be giving me some angel wings in the race and I hope I can honour him out on the racecourse.”
And we shouldn’t forget the fact that Kona one-two Solveig Løvseth and Kat Matthews didn’t exactly have a walk in the park in Hawaii, with the latter saying: “I don’t think anyone had it easy and you just have to make the best of what you’ve got [here].
“I think the fact that the four of us are here definitely shows it’s possible.”
You can watch the press conference in full below.
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