Search
shop

British IRONMAN champion rules himself OUT of Kona after rocky start to the season

Joe Skipper, who has struggled to find form over the last 12 months, shared his decision after dropping out of IRONMAN Lake Placid last weekend.
Staff Reporter
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

After a challenging start to the season, a tough day out at IRONMAN Lake Placid has forced Joe Skipper to rule himself out of chasing qualification to the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona.

The Norfolk native, who was a pre-season favourite for the IRONMAN Pro Series in 2024, has been unable to rediscover the form that saw him finish fifth in Kona and win two titles in 2022.

Sharing his decision on Instagram, the 36-year-old admitted that the latest setback was a bitter pill to swallow, but that he was excited to return to racing once he figures things out.

Training not translating to racing

Despite racing six times already this season, the PTO World #95 has struggled to nail things on the day, with Lake Placid on Sunday another instance of things just not going his way.

Challenge Geraardsbergen 2023 - Photo Credit José Luis Hourcade

“Unfortunately I felt very flat and not myself in Lake Placid. I just didn’t really have anything and my legs felt terrible. Honestly I’m absolutely gutted and just really down. I was looking forward to this race and my training had gone really well so I was very confident of putting together a great race.” 

As the defending champion, the result will sting even more, and marks the second full distance race Skipper has withdrawn from in 2024, after also pulling out of IRONMAN Texas in April.

Finding the root cause

With training going well and a strong sixth place finish at IRONMAN Cairns in June testament to his lasting ability, Skipper said he will now undergo some medical tests, to rule out any underlying issues that could be hampering his racing.

Joe Skipper press conference 2023 Roth [Photo credit: Challenge Roth]
[Photo credit: Challenge Roth]

“I will be taking some time off now, I’m going to get some blood tests done to see if there’s anything up with me as I’ve been so inconsistent in races and rarely feel like my normal self in races.

“I don’t know when I will race again as I’m going to just concentrate on feeling better and when I am confident I can race like myself I’ll be back on a start line.

“As you can probably gather this means no Kona but to be honest that’s probably a good thing as I can just take my time to get myself back firing on all cylinders and not force it. 

“Thanks to everyone for all the support it means the world, next time I’m on a start line I hope to do all the support justice!”

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
Dan Lorang Head of Performance BORA - hansgrohe
Touching and heartfelt tribute from Anne Haug’s coach after she announces triathlon retirement
Sam Long - T100 San Francisco 2024 bike
‘No No No’ – culture shock and bike crash for American star Sam Long in Italy
Georgia Taylor Brown wins supertri Chicago 2024 photo credit supertri
Georgia Taylor-Brown on enjoying her busy “year off” and wanting “to go out on a bit of a high”
challenge roth race ranger
Challenge Roth publish RaceRanger anti-drafting data from both pro races in a first for triathlon
Sam Laidlow celebrates Challenge Roth win 2025
IRONMAN Leeds 2025: Date, start time and how to follow live
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...