Search
shop

IRONMAN Champion heralds the strength of female long course racing and picks her main contenders for Nice

Laura Philipp picks her contenders for the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice and heralds the amount of fierce competitors she has in the sport.
Staff Reporter
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

German triathlon titan Laura Philipp is one of the best competitors in long course triathlon right now, with last year seeing her rocket up the rankings to PTO World #6.

Along with a podium at the IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii, Philipp was also third at Challenge Roth and won the IRONMAN 70.3 European Championship title in Tallinn.

In addition to her own hard work and training, Philipp also credits her success to a number of fierce competitors, who have quickly made women’s top triathlon races a must-watch.

Advertisement

“There are so many fierce competitors”

Having committed to racing the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, we spoke with Philipp ahead of a blockbuster season and asked (six months out!) who she expected to be battling for the win on the French Riviera in September.

“Female racing is really strong at the moment and there are so many fierce competitors that I am looking forward to race against!

“For Nice I think don’t think the favourites will differ so much: Anne Haug, Daniela Ryf, Chelsea Sodaro and Kat Mathews to name a few. 

Lucy Charles Barclay Laura Philipp Ellie Salthouse IRONMAN 703 Kraichgau 2023 photo credit: IRONMAN Germany
[Photo credit: IRONMAN Germany]

“It’s sad that Lucy [Charles-Barclay] is not taking on the challenge of another course outside of Kona, because the race dynamics could look a bit different on a course like Nice. This will be very exciting to watch for sure!”

“Triathletes deserve to have their own race series”

Also competing in the T100 Triathlon World Tour this season, the 36-year-old will have a number of chances to compete against her biggest rivals, which she says can only be a good thing.

Laura Philipp IRONMAN 70.3 European Championship Tallinn 2023
German triathlon star Laura Philipp wins IRONMAN 70.3 European Championship Tallinn in 2023 (Getty Images for IRONMAN).

“It’s exciting to be part of a new development. Triathletes deserve to have their own race series and racing against the best athletes on a regular basis is a great chance for personal growth and development.

I” have come 3rd in Daytona and 4th in Edmonton (with a very unfair bike due to massive drafting in the lead group) over the 100k distance, and with the 20 metre rule on the bike I definitely think I can have strong races over the 100k distance.

“I don’t have any aims for any particular results going into these races, as my main focus will still be on the IRONMAN World Champs in Nice. But, I see the T100 races as a great chance to race hard, try new things and learn a lot that will be helpful for other World Championship races.”

Tomos Land
Written by
Tomos Land
Tomos Land is a triathlon & running journalist whose expertise lies in the professional world of short course & long distance triathlon, though he also boasts an extensive knowledge of ultra-running.
Discover more
Laura Siddall Challenge Roth 2025 finish line
PremiumLaura Siddall: 10 things I’ve learned from my professional triathlon career
Ruth Astle finishing IRONMAN Vitoria 2024
PremiumHow to cope with a DNF: Elite athletes share their stories
PremiumIs your evening workout routine wrecking your recovery? Expert physiologist on how to improve recovery and what NOT to do
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumTriathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
03/07/2025 - Tour de France 2025 - Grand départ Jour 2 - Lille - Présentation des équipes -Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike)
PremiumWhat triathletes can learn from the Tour de France pro peloton
latest News
Jan Frodeno Cheesehead PTO Tour US Open 2023 Milwaukee
Triathlon legend Jan Frodeno goes outside his comfort zone to take on epic UTMB challenge
Matthew Marquardt wins IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025
Matthew Marquardt reveals why he would do IRONMAN Lake Placid again “in a heartbeat”
Premium‘The difference from triathlon is so big – there’s no comparison’: Maya Kingma on life in the Women’s WorldTour peloton
Sam Laidlow wins IRONMAN Leeds 2025
Sam Laidlow hails ‘special’ IRONMAN Leeds crowd after one fan sign turned chiller into thriller
Alex Yee wins Super tri Toronto 2025
Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee says “I’ve still got it” after roaring back to action with terrific Toronto win
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...