While much of the pre-race chat was focused on IRONMAN Kalmar being the last chance for Kona qualification, it was the performances of two athletes already confirmed for the Big Island that stole the headlines after a fascinating day in Sweden.
The six final slots for October’s World Championships were duly awarded to three deserving men and women, but with the line-up for Hawaii now complete, all thoughts turn to picking potential winners… and Saturday’s events certainly gave triathlon fans something to think about.
It is hard to believe there have ever been two stronger line-ups for Kona than the ones that will set off from Kamakahonu Beach on Saturday, October 10, with Kalmar only serving to make the task of predicting the next two champions that much harder.
German duo steal headlines at Kalmar
For the record, the six athletes who secured their Kona places in the last chance saloon were Andrea Salvisberg (SUI), Gregory Barnaby (ITA), Daniel Bækkegård (DEN), Jenny Jendryschik (GER), Leonie Konczalla (GER), and Antonia Milowsky (GER).
But it was the performances of the two German winners, Jonas Schomburg and Laura Philipp, which will have whetted many an appetite for the incredible battles to come on the Big Island.
Here is our athlete analysis on the Deutschland duo, as we look at why their Saturday in Sweden has thrust them into contention for the biggest prize in triathlon…
Laura Philipp – Back to her brilliant best
Philipp has battled with injury and illness for much of the season, even spending time in hospital after feeling unwell during one of her training camps, and questions over her ability to challenge for another world title were rightly being raised.
Saturday’s display in Kalmar was, however, the epitome of an emphatic response, as the 2024 champion showed that not only was she back to full fitness, but she had also managed to train herself into some kind of form across all three disciplines.
Never out of touch in the swim – she was part of the group that followed Rachel Zilinskas (USA) out of the water – it enabled her to mount an assault on the bike, which first saw her hunt down the American leader and then leave her behind with a frightening display of pedal power.
Having entered T2 with a lead of 5:29 over second-placed Katrine Christensen (DEN), she would eventually ease home in a marathon where she clearly eased up, saving her legs for bigger races to come.
Fair warning that she is a Kona threat
The fact that her winning margin was still 18:45 and that her 8:13:37 ranks among the fastest women’s performances recorded at an IRONMAN-branded race makes you wonder what she could have achieved had she not slowed up.
Her bike time of 4:24:51 was the fastest of the day and set a new course record by almost ten minutes, with an average speed of 41.1km/h, and her marathon (2:52:57) was also the quickest among the women’s field, with an average run pace of 4:06/km.
Her performance broke Christensen’s 2025 course record by more than 14 minutes, and had she run close to her marathon PB of 2:38:27 – which would have been very much on the cards before being told to ease up by her husband and coach Philipp Seipp – then she could have become the first woman to ever complete an IRONMAN in under eight hours.
The stats never lie, and in this case they prove one thing… Laura Philipp is back, and the likes of Kat Matthews, Solveig Løvseth, Taylor Knibb and Lucy Charles-Barclay have been given fair warning that she is a major Kona threat.
Jonas Schomburg: Full-distance potential is realised
Before arriving in Kalmar, the popular belief regarding Schomburg was that he still had a lot to learn about pacing when it comes to completing a full-distance IRONMAN.
Having made the jump from middle-distance only last year, it seemed the German was struggling to contain himself – particularly at the start of the marathon – and would end up paying the price at the business end of the race.
While there was undoubted talent and potential for great things in the body, it was his mind which needed to adapt to the challenges of going those extra miles.
Indeed, in the build-up to Challenge Roth this season, Norwegian uber-beast Kristian Blummenfelt accepted that if Schomburg could sort out his pacing and manage to save his best for last, then he would become a serious threat.
On Saturday’s evidence, it seems that such a time has now arrived.
Controlled performance was the key
His swimming ability has never been questioned, and he exited the Kalmar Strait just two seconds behind leader Sven Thalmann (SUI) on Saturday, before skipping past him at T1 to take the lead ahead of the bike leg.
In the past, it is fair to say that he would probably have powered away and looked to build a huge lead, but he remained focused and seemingly more aware of the bigger picture as he produced a bike ride that, while keeping him in contention, also showed great control.
With Swede Robert Kallin flying through the field to eventually record the fastest bike leg ever in a full-distance IRONMAN, the temptation for Schomburg to follow him must have been strong.
He admitted after that he was concerned about punctures, but even that mindset shows he is learning fast in terms of what it takes to win an IRONMAN, and the more you have left in the tank as you head out onto the run, the better.
So close to breaking all-time race record
His 4:00:44 was the fourth-fastest on the day with an average speed of 45.3km/h and it meant that he arrived at T2 only four minutes behind a leader who was clearly spent after his record-breaking efforts in the saddle.
With his easy, almost swaggering, running style, the German reeled in Kallin inside 10km and never once looked like he was struggling as he completed the second-fastest marathon of the day in 2:34:36.
This was not the same athlete who flew out of the blocks in Texas and at Roth, only to blow up in the latter stages and miss out on potential podium places; this was an altogether different beast and one which clearly has potential to challenge on the Big Island come October.
His finish time of 7:22:57 was the fourth-fastest ever recorded at full distance, less than two minutes behind Sam Laidlow’s 7:21:04 and Blummenfelt’s 7:21:12 and 7:21:24 – and it was also good enough to wipe 15 minutes and 50 seconds off Alistair Brownlee’s previous course record.
Confirmation that he is among the best
A first IRONMAN victory, it was more than just any old win. This was confirmation that Schomburg is now ready to challenge the very best of his peers when he lines up on Kamakahonu Beach.
Of course, the flat, rapid roads and cooler conditions of Kalmar bear little resemblance to the heat, humidity and unpredictable winds of Kona. Raw times cannot be transferred from one course to the other, but the control, strength and balance displayed by both winners certainly can.
You can watch a full replay of the race on the official IRONMAN YouTube page, with the link below.
