2022 Hawaii Ironman World Championships: The Women's Contenders

It's two weeks before Kona Ironman World Championship. Kat Matthews was hit by a car during one of her training rides and she was forced to withdraw from the race. She was one the original picks for the list. The list is divided into two categories: the main contenders for KONA and the credible podium threats.

Daniela is a five-time Ironman World Champion and a 5-times 70.3 World champion. She won 18 of 21 full-distance races in the second half of the 2010s.

Daniela has won the Ironman World Championships twice before. She holds the female Kona bike course record. Daniela hasn't raced much since St. George, but she won at IM Switzerland in July and in her Collins Cup match in August.

Daniela is going for her sixth Ironman World Championship title in Kona. Her main weapon in all her wins was the bike. She has the best odds of winning. Lucy Charles-Barclay, Kat Matthews or Laura Philipp might challenge her on the run.

Anne won the Ironman World Championship in 2019. She is the only previous female Kona winner.

Anne won Kona 2019 by six minutes. She always posted the fastest run split. She will compete in the 22nd Hawaii Ironman World Championships.

Anne is one of the top contenders for the Hawaii Ironman World Championships. She was able to swim in the chase group in St. George but lost contact with Daniela and other cyclists for half of her bike. Fenella Langridge was in a good position in T2.

Laura has won three Ironman races and finished fourth in Kona in 2019.

Laura has been working hard to improve her swim. She was able to swim with Daniela at 70.3 Dubai in March 2022 and outrun her. Her bike and run are close to the level of the strongest women. Laura could challenge Anne on the run.

Laura lost 3 minutes in the 2k swim at the 2022 PTO Canadian Open in Edmonton. She has to reach T1 in a good position. Kona is probably going to be the most crowded swim of the year for the women. Laura will have to walk a tight line between taking risks and winning the race.

Lucy won her first big title in 2021 at 70.3 Worlds in St. George. She was injured most of 2022, but she's feeling fit enough to take part in the Hawaii Ironman World Championships.

Lucy is going to lead the first half of the race. She has been running well since her injury. Lucy is capable of a sub-3 marathon in Kona. She outsplit Emma Pallant-Browne in Samorin over an 18k run and lost only 20 seconds to Kat Matthews in Dallas.

Lucy is coming off three second places in Kona in a row. She will have to race hard from the start. She might move up a place in 2022. The women's world championship takes place on Hawaii in 22nd of November.

Skye won Chattanooga 2021 and Des Moines 2022 Ironman races. She was fourth in St. George and the top female US finisher.

Skye finished in fourth place in St. George. She needs to improve her start position and push the pace in the chase group. If she can start the run closer to the front than 15 minutes, she could finish on the podium.

Skye will be aiming for a podium finish in Kona. She will have to improve her marathon time to do it. She helped to reduce the number of contenders on the bike.

Sarah is one of the most consistent Kona athletes in recent years. She was third in 2017 and 2019.

Sarah is always swimming strong and will start the bike close to Daniela. Sarah finished second in the men's race in Kona 2019.

Sarah has been struggling with injuries in 2020 and 2021. Last year she decided to skip St. George and instead train and race in Australia. She won both IM Australia and IM Cairns.

Chelsea Sodaro is preparing for the Hawaii Ironman World Championships. She gave birth to daughter Skylar in May 2021. Sodara completed her first Ironwoman in July 2022.

Chelsea is a good swimmer and she is going to start the bike with the chase group around Daniela Ryf and Anne Haug. She has shown in Hamburg that she can ride well within herself. Chelsea also ran well in the Hamburg race.

2022 Hawaii Ironman World Championships: The Women's Contenders. The first race in Kona is always a venture into the unknown. After a good swim, the bike pace in the chase group might be a bit too hot for her. She might have to choose between riding too hard and blowing up on the run.