IRONMAN World Champion Sam Laidlow admits health issues made him question his triathlon future

Sam Laidlow is on the triathlon comeback trail, but the Frenchman has revealed he wondered whether he would be forced to quit triathlon altogether.

The 2023 IRONMAN World Champion admitted last month that a return to full fitness still seems a long way away as he battles back from the health issue which has sidelined him since that epic blow-up in the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona last October.

Laidlow is dealing with an electrolyte imbalance, is still not in full training and now admits he questioned whether he would ever be able to return.

Laidlow questioned triathlon future

Speaking to TRI247 at Challenge Sir Bani Yas, Laidlow said: “It’s frustrating. For the last three months in triathlon I haven’t been able to put the work in.

“Imagine some carpenter just got employed to do this huge job but he doesn’t have the tools to do it. It’s extremely frustrating. But it’s also taught me a lot about myself.

“There has been periods in these last three or four months where I started questioning whether I could make it back. And it hit me then that if for whatever reason tomorrow I couldn’t do the sport, I would be happy with what I’ve done and where I am in life.

“Now for me, anything else that comes is a bonus. I’m still chasing that Kona win. But my purpose is to inspire people by getting the best out of myself and promote health and wellbeing. It’s your biggest superpower, your health. That’s my goal.”

Laidlow’s big target date is Sunday September 14 for the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, where he triumphed two years ago.

IMWC in Nice is not a given

But he admits there is a doubt he will make it – and insists his main goal for now is getting body right so he can still look forward to another decade in the sport.

He said: “If I can turn things around and be there, that would be great. But this year is about really sorting my health out so I can have another ten years in the sport. I’ve been going a long time even though I’m relatively young. Did my first triathlon when I was four, so 22 years already.”