Charles-barclay Wins Ironman After 'tough' Period

Britain's Lucy Charles-Barclay claimed her 2nd world Ironman 70.3 title aft coming done an "incredibly reliable period" pinch wounded and a family bereavement.

The triumph successful Marbella came conscionable 4 weeks aft she was incapable to decorativeness nan Ironman World Championship title successful Kona, Hawaii.

"It was decidedly an incredibly reliable period, we had a batch going on, we had immoderate family things happening and unluckily we mislaid personification really typical to america truthful I deliberation that benignant of changed my position rather a lot," nan 32-year-old said pursuing her win.

"OK, Kona's down me, I'm healthy, I'm here, I conjecture life is short and you person to effort and bask it.

"Thankfully it came together and put a batch of positivity into nan family successful what's been a really, really reliable time, truthful I'm truthful gladsome I could do that and honour nan personification we lost."

Runner-up, American Taylor Knibb - who won nan past 3 editions pursuing Charles-Barclay's 2021 occurrence - likewise grounded to decorativeness successful Kona and was only cleared to title connected Friday, but nan brace led from nan beforehand successful nan finale successful Spain.

Charles-Barclay was first retired of nan h2o pinch a 47-second lead complete Knibb and compatriot Jess Learmonth earlier Knibb took immoderate clip disconnected nan leader during nan punishing motorcycle stage, which included 5.8km of climbing.

Knibb past moved to nan beforehand of nan tally earlier Charles-Barclay reeled her backmost in, past pulled distant to decorativeness successful 4 hours, 14mins 54 secs, 3 minutes up of Knibb.

Debutant Tanja Neubert of Germany was 3rd while Britain's three-time Olympic medallist Georgia Taylor-Brown made a respectable fourth, besides connected debut astatine nan region - nan 70.3 being half a afloat Ironman, pinch a 1.9km swim, 90km motorcycle thrust and 21.1km run.