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The German triathlete Anne Haug at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii
Photo: David Pintens / Belga / IMAGO
With shaky legs, Anne Haug congratulated her conquerors, after which the 39-year-old collapsed completely exhausted at the Kailua-Kona finish.
1090 days after her World Cup triumph in Hawaii she had to admit defeat this time.
Haug took third place in the Mecca of triathlon, as in 2018 and also at the catch-up World Championships in St. George in May.
The American sensational winner Chelsea Sodaro was too strong on her World Cup debut and the British Lucy Charles-Barclay, who, like in 2017, 2018 and 2019, was vice world champion over 3.86 kilometers of swimming, 180.2 kilometers of cycling and 42.2 kilometers of running.
Fourth went to Laura Philipp with a strong performance in tough conditions with great heat and high humidity.
Without a time penalty of five minutes on the bike, which was initially not explained to the German, the 35-year-old could have done even better.
For winner Sodaro it is the biggest success of her career.
The 33-year-old became a mother a good year and a half ago and competed in an Ironman for the first time in Hamburg in June after the baby break.
After second place in the Hanseatic city behind Philipp, Sodaro showed an impressive running performance in the final marathon on her Hawaii debut.
The running distance is actually Haug's greatest strength, but the American was too strong that day.
Haug: »Left a lot of grains on the wheel«
Haug and Philipp were about seven minutes behind after swimming, the former professional swimmer Charles-Barclay pulled away in 50:57 minutes.
A time penalty for Philipp - reportedly for slipstreaming - blew up the small group.
Haug didn't want to lose touch with the leaders on the bike and probably invested too much.
“I left so many grains on the wheel.
It was brutal on the run,” said Haug, who is 1.64 meters tall and weighs 51 kilograms.
Nevertheless, she easily overtook Daniela Ryf, who had been leading in the meantime, passed Fenella Langridge and was in third place.
But Charles-Barclay kept Haug at bay in her fourth consecutive second place finish in Hawaii.
"I really didn't feel that crispy," said third-placed Haug after the race on ZDF.
"When you've given everything, you're happy with everything and a podium finish is always awesome."
Frodeno with an unusual role at the edge of the track
There was prominent support for the German athletes along the route: The three-time Ironman World Champion Jan Frodeno gave water and cheered.
He had signed up as a volunteer and was standing by the route in a yellow volunteer shirt.
Frodeno had to cancel his start at the first World Cup in Hawaii since his victory in 2019 early due to a hip injury.
The professional men start this Saturday.
Because of the many age group athletes due to the Hawaii failures in 2020 and 2021, the World Cup will be divided into two races for the first time.
see/dpa