Skye Moench, the American Ironman record holder, has announced that she is expecting her first baby in November and will not be racing again this season.
The 35-year-old, who is contracted to the T100 Triathlon World Tour and finished eighth in Miami at her first race of the season, is currently ranked PTO World #15.
The announcement means that Moench is the second T100 contracted athlete expecting a baby in 2024, after British star Holly Lawrence announced her pregnancy earlier this month.
“There’s a whole new story and journey about to unfold”
Sharing the news on Instagram, Moench revealed that her dog, Winston, would soon be a “big brother” at the end of November. She added that whilst this means no more racing in 2024, a return to triathlon is the plan post baby.
“While this definitely means no more racing for me this year, it also means there’s a whole new story and journey about to unfold! I’m excited to take on the changes and challenges ahead as I navigate being pregnant, a mother, and a pro athlete.”
Moench also took the time to acknowledge her husband Matt, who had put his own plans for a family to one side whilst Skye established herself as one of the best long distance triathletes in the USA.
“A special shout out to my husband, @mmoench. He has been looking forward to becoming a father for many years, yet he’s been so supportive of me chasing my pro triathlon dream for pretty much our entire relationship. […]. He’s pumped!”
“The pro triathlon dream continues”
Now making the preparations to welcome a very special addition to her family, Moench will step back from triathlon for the rest of the season, but said that “the pro triathlon dream continues”.
Having made her professional debut in 2016, Moench left behind a career as an accountant with Ernst and Young to pursue the sport, and since then has amassed 16 podiums and six wins.
Last season, she set the fastest time by an American athlete for the Ironman distance, clocking 8:22:28 at IRONMAN Florida on the way to a win and a new course record, beating second place India Lee by more than eight minutes.
In Florida, Moench secured qualification for this year’s IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, which can be deferred to the next edition of the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona in 2025.
Over the past three seasons, Moench has finished fourth, ninth and seventh at the IRONMAN World Championship in St. George, Kona and Kona respectively.
What does this mean for the T100 Tour?
As one of the contracted athletes for the T100 Triathlon World Tour, Moench was expected to compete at six of their events in 2024, but like Britain’s Holly Lawrence, will now be unable to do so.
When asked about the circumstances surrounding Lawrence’s contract earlier in the month, the PTO said that “there are mechanisms in place, but we’ll be talking them through with the athlete first of all”.
TRI247 have reached out to the PTO for further information on the maternity policy for T100 contracted athletes. The next T100 race is in San Francisco next month, where Moench was announced on the start list.
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