IRONMAN Kalmar next weekend (Saturday 15 August) offers the final three women’s places for the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona in October.
So now is the perfect time to check who is there, who’s missing and who has one last chance to make it to the Big Island.
Already qualified
Pretty much all the big names have already booked their spots – check out the full list of qualifiers below.
Slots are available via all IRONMAN pro races in the qualifying period – and some former world champions qualify automatically so long as they validate.
The rules state champions before 2024 were granted a five-year exemption and needed only to enter and complete a qualifying race to claim their slots – think Lucy Charles-Barclay from 2023 for example, though she won IRONMAN Lanzarote in May in any case.
But due to a subsequent rule change those who won in 2024 onwards are granted just a one-year exemption, so fine for reigning champ Solveig Løvseth but not so Laura Philipp (2024) who had to book her place at IRONMAN Hamburg (and is racing Kalmar anyway).
One former champion who left it late to validate was Chelsea Sodaro at Lake Placid recently and that race also featured an eyecatching full-distance debut from Paula Findlay who could be a threat to all in Kona.
Definitely missing out
In terms of high profile athletes not yet there – with all due respect, there aren’t many.
Britain’s Holly Lawrence is the one that stands out – injury having left her on the sidelines for now and she’ll instead try and qualify for Kona 2027 via races like IRONMAN Florida or Western Australia at the backend of this campaign.
And one athlete who is not there by choice who you could have seen being a factor is Alanis Siffert, the sensational winner of Challenge Roth who will leave Kona for the future.
Jocelyn McCauley (pregnancy), who has been in the top 10 of this event before, is another to swerve it this year.
Still in with a chance
While many of the race favourites have already secured the IRONMAN World Championship slot, Kalmar presents a last-chance opportunity for the likes of Leonie Konczalla (GER), Jeanne Collonge (FRA) and Jenny Jendryschik (GER).
Rebecca Clarke (NZL) was originally in the same boat and on the Kalmar start list but she won’t now race and thus misses out despite finishing third at IRONMAN Cairns earlier this season when just the two spots were up for grabs.
In contrast, the three spots in Kalmar are likely to roll some way down as race favourites like Laura Philipp, Katrine Christensen and Jackie Hering all have their places sorted.
IRONMAN World Championship 2026 women’s qualifiers so far
| Athlete | Nationality | Qualification route* | Race qualified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alice Alberts | USA | QS | IRONMAN Arizona |
| Rebecca Anderbury | GBR | QS | IRONMAN Lanzarote |
| Hannah Berry | NZL | QS | IRONMAN New Zealand |
| Romina Biagioli | ARG | QS | IRONMAN Brazil |
| Daniela Bleymehl | GER | QS | IRONMAN South Africa |
| Lucy Charles-Barclay | GBR | FC5 | IRONMAN Lanzarote |
| Katrine Christensen | DEN | QS | IRONMAN South Africa |
| Kate Curran | GBR | QS | IRONMAN Western Australia |
| Elisabetta Curridori | ITA | QS | IRONMAN Arizona |
| Daisy Davies | GBR | QS | IRONMAN South Africa |
| Julie Derron | SUI | QS | IRONMAN Switzerland |
| Nina Derron | SUI | QS | IRONMAN Lanzarote |
| Danielle Fauteux | CAN | QS | IRONMAN Chattanooga |
| Paula Findlay | CAN | QS | IRONMAN Lake Placid |
| Arlette Gonzalez | MEX | QS | IRONMAN Cozumel |
| Henrike Güber | GER | QS | IRONMAN South Africa |
| Jackie Hering | USA | QS | IRONMAN Texas |
| Lara Hernandez-Tome | USA | QS | IRONMAN Lake Placid |
| Franziska Hofmann | GER | QS | IRONMAN Wales |
| Regan Hollioake | AUS | QS | IRONMAN New Zealand |
| Rhianne Hughes | GBR | QS | IRONMAN Lake Placid |
| Julie Iemmolo | FRA | QS | IRONMAN Brazil |
| Tamara Jewett | CAN | QS | IRONMAN New Zealand |
| Kaidi Kivioja | EST | QS | IRONMAN Hamburg |
| Taylor Knibb | USA | QS | IRONMAN Texas |
| Marta Lagownik | POL | QS | IRONMAN Cozumel |
| Fenella Langridge | GBR | QS | IRONMAN Hamburg |
| India Lee | GBR | QS | IRONMAN Hamburg |
| Danielle Lewis | USA | QS | IRONMAN Cozumel |
| Solveig Løvseth | NOR | RC | IRONMAN WC Automatic Qualifier |
| Gabrielle Lumkes | USA | QS | IRONMAN Texas |
| Kat Matthews | GBR | QS | IRONMAN New Zealand |
| Charlotte McShane | AUS | QS | IRONMAN Western Australia |
| Pâmella Nascimento De Oliveira | BRA | QS | IRONMAN Brazil |
| Anna Pabinger | AUT | QS | IRONMAN Chattanooga |
| Nikita Paskiewiez | FRA | QS | IRONMAN Lanzarote |
| Lisa Perterer | AUT | QS | IRONMAN Hamburg |
| Laura Philipp | GER | QS | IRONMAN Hamburg |
| Anne-Sophie Pierre | FRA | QS | IRONMAN Western Australia |
| Marjolaine Pierré | FRA | QS | IRONMAN Hamburg |
| Marta Sanchez | ESP | QS | IRONMAN Texas |
| Imogen Simmonds | SUI | QS | IRONMAN Switzerland |
| Samantha Skold | USA | QS | IRONMAN Lake Placid |
| Penny Slater | AUS | QS | IRONMAN Cairns |
| Chelsea Sodaro | USA | FC5 | IRONMAN Lake Placid |
| Sara Svensk | SWE | QS | IRONMAN Cozumel |
| Grace Thek | AUS | QS | IRONMAN Texas |
| Jana Uderstadt | GER | QS | IRONMAN Texas |
| Skye Wallace | AUS | QS | IRONMAN Cairns |
| Rosie Wild | GBR | QS | IRONMAN Wales |
| Lotte Wilms | NED | QS | IRONMAN Western Australia |
| Rachel Zilinskas | USA | QS | IRONMAN Arizona |
