Taylor Knibb struggling. Lucy Charles-Barclay out. Solveig Løvseth moving into the lead.

For those who watched last year’s IRONMAN World Championship, the closing stages of the women’s race in Kona were becoming painfully familiar.

But just when Løvseth appeared poised to defend her title, there was one even bigger twist to come.

Inside the final kilometre, the Norwegian suddenly became unable to run and struggled even to walk. Knibb, who had battled through her own difficulties, came past to reclaim the lead and win her first IRONMAN World Championship title.

Løvseth would eventually summon the strength to finish eighth, receiving an extraordinary reception. But the scenes before that had left everyone watching deeply concerned for her wellbeing.

Charles-Barclay’s heartbreak repeats

Charles-Barclay had been at the heart of the race from the start, leading the Kona swim for the seventh time in seven appearances before trading the bike lead repeatedly with Knibb.

Their contest was one of the day’s highlights. Neither seemed willing to let the other escape, until Knibb finally established some breathing room towards the end of the bike.

Charles-Barclay began the marathon 3:06 behind, with Løvseth another 1:42 back in third.

But the defending champion gradually closed, passing the Briton just before the ten-mile point. Charles-Barclay was looking increasingly laboured and, at around 28km, she came to a standstill.

It was almost exactly the point where her race had ended in 2025. Her withdrawal was subsequently confirmed.

Another title within touching distance

Ahead, Knibb was also struggling and appeared to be vomiting as Løvseth made inroads into her lead.

With around 8km remaining, the Norwegian caught and passed her. Knibb tried to respond, briefly matching the move, but Løvseth pulled clear.

The parallels with 2025 were striking. Once again, Knibb and Charles-Barclay had driven the race from the front, only for Løvseth to emerge strongest late in the marathon.

Her advantage grew to just over a minute. She was not only heading towards a successful world title defence, but also the IRONMAN Pro Series crown and its $200,000 first prize.

Even so, Løvseth had warned before the start against assuming that success here once meant she had Kona figured out.

“I know a lot of people that have had great experiences the first time here and then terrible the next time,” she said in her pre-race broadcast interview.

“I’m definitely not feeling that I sort of know how to race here, even though I had a great race last year.”

The final kilometre changes everything

Løvseth was visibly hurting as she approached the finish, but with just a kilometre remaining, victory still seemed within reach.

Then her race unravelled with shocking speed.

She could no longer run. Even walking became a struggle. Knibb moved past her, turning what had looked like another crushing disappointment into an extraordinary victory.

Laura Philipp followed, taking second after a superb recovery from tenth at the start of the marathon. Julie Derron subsequently passed Løvseth too, securing third on her Kona debut despite a three-minute drafting penalty.

Knibb looked stunned as she crossed the line. The reversal from last year could hardly have been more complete.

But amid that astonishment, the overriding concern was Løvseth. She had been seen on the ground, then regained her feet and attempted to continue, only to go down again.

A finish that transcended eighth place

Remarkably, Løvseth eventually got back on her feet and somehow made it to the finish.

She crossed in eighth to an incredible reception. After everything that had happened, the placing felt secondary.

Her determination to complete the race embodied the spirit of Kona, while those distressing final stages were a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change here.

Knibb was the world champion. Charles-Barclay had endured another heartbreaking withdrawal. And Løvseth, having come so close to a remarkable double, had delivered a finish that will live long in the memory.