IRONMAN Switzerland Thun 2022 results: Ryf a class apart in home race

Swiss superstar Daniela Ryf produced another completely dominant performance in front of her home fans at IRONMAN Switzerland Thun.

The current IRONMAN World Champion had won the event three times previously (2014, 2016 and 2021), the last of those wins the first time it had been held at the new venue of Thun – within an hour of her home.

She’d won by 36 minutes that day and today’s triumph threatened to exceed that before the gap stabilised to just under half an hour on the run, Ryf crossing the line in 8:59:05.

Swim – Ryf takes charge

Ryf was to the fore from the outset, first out of the water in 51:20, which gave her a lead of over five minutes from Tara Grosvenor (GBR) and Nina Derron (SUI).

That pair left T1 locked together but the gap between them and Ryf was soon to extend further.

Bike – ‘Angry bird’ in a league of her own

Through the stunning Swiss countryside, Ryf underlined her class on the bike to ride the opposition ragged.

Before the halfway point the advantage had moved into double figures, with Derron her ‘closest’ challenger at that point.

Derron was joined by Finland’s Heini Hartikainen in the closing stages on the bike, but by now the gap had ballooned to just under half an hour.

Run – Swiss stroll

The splendid isolation for Ryf continued with an advantage of over 6km by the Hartikainen and Derron had reached T2.

In behind there was a far closer battle for the two podium positions – Hartikainen was in second until the 25km mark at which point she was overhauled by Belgium’s Alexandra Tondeur.