IRONMAN World Champion Sam Laidlow makes decision on title defence

IRONMAN World Champion Sam Laidlow has announced his race calendar for the season, with his sights set firmly on defending his World Championship title in Kona.

Contracted to the new T100 Triathlon World Tour, the Frenchman also revealed the locations on the series he plans to race in 2024.

Despite being fully focused on clinching a first crown in Kona, the 25-year-old also said in his most recent YouTube video that he believes he is capable of a PTO podium.

“My heart is and always will be set on the IRONMAN”

Speaking about his plans for the upcoming season, Laidlow said that even after his IRONMAN World Championship win in Nice last year, the plan remains the same.

“My heart is and always will be set on the IRONMAN distance and even though the best seem to be racing the PTO, the overall goal is still for me to win IRONMAN World titles.

“That being said, I think I am capable of winning a PTO race, just maybe not this year but I guess we will have to wait and find out as I will certainly try.”

Validation date set for July

To secure his spot in Kona, Laidlow will have to validate with a race before the World Championship and has opted to go to Spain two weeks before the T100 London.

“I’m going to start my season by going to Miami, then to Singapore and then I haven’t got that much racing between then and my next race.

“I’ll do a big block to prepare for the Ironman I need to race to validate and that’s going to be in Spain at IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz.

“Two weeks later I’ll race at PTO London, which will be interesting to see how I recover from an IRONMAN and back it up as later in the season I have to recover from Kona and do the next two PTO races in the Middle East.

“After PTO London I will do ten weeks of full IRONMAN prep at home, then to PTO Ibiza a month before Kona and then from there I’ll go straight from Ibiza to Kona and spend a month on the Big Island.”