Search
shop

San Francisco T100 2024 Women’s Results: Taylor Knibb DOMINATES on home soil

Taylor Knibb, the most versatile triathlete in the world, demonstrated her class with a brilliant win at the San Francisco T1OO.
Staff Reporter
Last updated -

American triathlon star Taylor Knibb was a class apart from the rest of the field in San Francisco, as the 26-year-old produced a perfect performance across the board to take the tape in California.

Out of the water at the front of the race, Knibb took off at the start of the bike and never looked back, opening up a huge lead before running home to victory.

In second place, Kat Matthews bounced back from her disqualification at IRONMAN Hamburg last weekend, with German Laura Philipp rounding out the podium.

Advertisement

Swim – Imogen Simmonds times it just right

Diving off the ferry, the conditions in San Francisco were slightly better for the women, who started 45 minutes after the men, but it was still a choppy day in the Bay, with home favourite Knibb going straight to the front.

With the beach in sight, it appeared as if Knibb would lead a small group, that also included Paula Findlay, out of the water. However, in a moment that took everyone, including the commentary crew, by surprise, Imogen Simmonds was suddenly in the lead.

The Swiss star, an incredibly strong swimmer, found the perfect current that set her on a beeline for the beach, as she flew by the front pack some 20 metres to her left and came out of the water with an advantage over the rest of the field.

Into transition, Simmonds was +0:13 ahead of Knibb, with Philipp, Matthews and India Lee a further ten seconds behind and Ashleigh Gentle and Paula Findlay within half a minute of the front.

Emma Pallant-Browne, Tamara Jewett, Lucy Byram and Laura Madsen were less than a minute back from Simmonds, as similarly to the men’s race, the faster swim conditions meant that the weaker swimmers lost less time than they usually would in the water.

Bike – Knibb utterly dominant

Out on to the bike, Knibb quickly reeled in Simmonds before blasting off the front, with the American opening up a 30 second gap over Philipp, Simmonds and Matthews over the opening lap. In fourth, Findlay was +1:06 down, with Lee, Gentle, Pallant-Browne and Madsen close behind.

By the halfway mark, the Olympic medalist’s lead had grown exponentially, with the gap back to Matthews and Philipp over two minutes, with Simmonds three minutes back in fourth and Findlay, rounding out the Top 5, more than four minutes in arrears.

Pushing on, Knibb continued to build an insurmountable lead on the bike, with the gap back to Matthews +4:33 coming into transition. In third, Philipp was +6:16 from the front, with Simmonds +6:38 down in fourth. Further back, a group of four made up of Findlay, Madsen, Lee and Pallant-Browne were nine minutes behind.

Gentle, who won the Singapore T100 in April, started the run +10:41 back on Knibb, with the Australian facing an uphill battle to get back into podium contention, as Matthews was six minutes up the road and Philipp in third more than four minutes ahead.

Advertisement

Run – Nobody can stop Knibb

On a mixed terrain course in San Francisco, Knibb continued to consolidate her grip on the race, as the American, often seen as an amazing biker above all else, demonstrated her prowess on the run.

Whilst Matthews made up a little ground, Knibb maintained the gap to the rest of the field, as Gentle, who we so often see run through in these races, struggled to make an impact over the first couple of laps.

In a season that has so far seen her dominate at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside, finish on the podium at WTCS Yokohama and qualify for the Olympics in a second sport, Knibb added another stellar win to her resume with a flawless performance in San Francisco.

Taylor Knibb PTO Tour US Open 2023 Milwaukee
[Photo – PTO]

Taking the tape with a smile on her face, Knibb beat Matthews, who finished on her first ever T100 Tour podium, by almost four minutes. In third, Philipp, racing her first T100 Tour event of the season, was a further three minutes back from Matthews.

Rounding out the Top 5, Simmonds finished in fourth, just ahead of Britain’s Pallant-Browne, who had a great run to move through the field on the final discipline.

San Francisco T100 – Saturday June 8 2024
2km / 80km / 18km

PRO WOMEN

  • 1. Taylor Knibb (USA) – 3:38:01 [17:23/2:09:32/1:07:00]
  • 2. Kat Matthews (GBR) – 3:41:48 [17:35/2:14:18/1:06:00]
  • 3. Laura Philipp (GER) – 3:45:07 [17:37/2:15:57/1:07:23]
  • 4. Imogen Simmonds (SUI) – 3:47:22 [17:00/2:16:38/1:09:32]
  • 5. Emma Pallant-Browne (GBR) – 3:47:56 [18:05/2:18:15/1:07:25]
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
Challenge The Championship Marjolaine Pieree
How to qualify for Challenge The Championship – and why it should be on your triathlon bucket list
TRI247 Wahoo KICKR RUN treadmill review
Wahoo KICKR RUN treadmill review – can Wahoo do for treadmill running what they did for indoor cycling?
Challenge Cesenatico 2024 debut - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
5 ways to improve your FTP – Expert tips to level up your cycling
sumarpo triathlon swimming wetsuit
Wetsuit buying guide – How to choose the best wetsuit for triathlon, open water swimming, SwimRun and cold water
Challenge Almere-Amsterdam long distance triathlon bike course
How to cycle in a head wind – tips for riding your bike in windy conditions
latest News
Lakesman Triathlon swim Derwentwater
British race is voted the Best Triathlon in the World
VinFast IRONMAN World Championship 2023 - Lucy Charles-Barclay bike aero
IRONMAN world champions to ride with cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy
Jonny and Alistair Brownlee Ask AL AI
Triathlon’s Brownlee brothers made each other great with love and war philosophy which drove them to Olympic glory
Lucy Gossage finish line wall Montane Winter Spine Race 2025 [Photo credit: Wild Aperture Photography / The Spine Race]
How one key piece of triathlon advice helped Lucy Gossage win Britain’s most BRUTAL ultrarunning race
Paris 2024 Olympics - Cassandre Beaugrand wins
Olympic champion targets 5k test and says triathlon in February ‘makes no sense to me’
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

Share to...