Search
shop

Quite the homecoming as Taylor Knibb takes second in Boulder

Taylor Knibb said she'd been dying to try IRONMAN 70.3 for a while and on Saturday we found out why as she claimed an excellent second in Boulder.
Editor-In-Chief
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

It was quite the week for Taylor Knibb – just seven days after winning Olympic silver in Tokyo she was making her IRONMAN 70.3 debut in Boulder on Saturday.

And the 23-year-old did not disappoint, putting in a hugely impressive performance to finish second behind Emma Pallant-Browne after leading into the run in Colorado.

Advertisement

Taylor Knibb on 70.3 desire

Afterwards Knibb admitted that stepping up in distance was something she had been wanting to do, explaining: “I’ve been dying to do one of these for a while, ask anyone who knows me.

“May not have been the smartest choice of course and timing. But I had a great opportunity, it was a home race, this is the first time I’ve raced on U.S. soil in triathlon since July 2017. So I’m just really grateful to be here, it’s a great course.”

Knibb led out of the water and then after the bike leg on Saturday, but eventually had to give best to the surging Pallant-Browne on the run. She did though get the better of a great battle with training partner Jeanni Metzler to claim second place in a time of 4:02:20.

Taylor said: “Emma was fantastic, she said I tried to stick with her, I said ‘wow, you’re in another league’. And then Jeanni at the end, I train with her and it felt like practice, or training I guess.

“It was a great race, I have a lot to improve on, it was a bit nerve-wracking out there, thanks for all the support out there.”

From Tokyo to Boulder

This was quite the change in scenery, context and distance when compared to the Olympic Mixed Relay in Tokyo last week, as Taylor emphasised.

“Yeah in the relay, so about 3 hours and 50 minutes less of racing! There’s only a 2k run vs 21k, but anyway it was great.”

Not surprisingly after this performance, Taylor was asked if she planned to go to the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship at St. George next month. Her answer? “I don’t think so, but I have five hours to decide I guess”.

For now the next assignments will be WTCS events in Montreal and Edmonton in the next two weeks. We look forward to seeing how the Taylor Knibb story unfolds further.

Graham Shaw
Written by
Graham Shaw
Graham has been involved with TRI247 & RUN247 since the summer of 2021. Since then he has provided strategic direction for all news and is passionate about the growth of triathlon as a fan sport.
Discover more
Challenge The Championship Marjolaine Pieree
How to qualify for Challenge The Championship – and why it should be on your triathlon bucket list
Cadomotus aero triathlon cycling shoes
Can your triathlon cycling shoes make you faster? How shoe choice could speed up your triathlon finish times
French Riviera T100 bike course Esterel
Is this the ultimate middle distance triathlon bike course? We rode the French Riviera T100 bike course and it’s EPIC
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
latest News
IRONMAN World Championship 2024 Nice Age Group Swim Start
IRONMAN to review World Championship slot allocation model after fears raised for Age Group women
Jonny Brownlee / Jonathan Brownlee - Super League Triathlon London 2023
Did the Brownlee brothers nearly join pro cycling’s Team Sky after 2012 Olympic heroics?
Kristian Hogenhaug interviewed after The Championship 2025
Danish triathlon star highlights blistering bike split as key to The Championship success.
Alistair Brownlee - T100 San Francisco 2024 bike
Olympic triathlon legend Alistair Brownlee completes iconic Gralloch race in latest gravel test
Jeanne Lehair Beth Potter WTCS Yokohama 2025
From Olympic heartbreak to joy of first WTCS win as emotions flow for Jeanne Lehair
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...