IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2022 expert picks: Pro Women

Kat Matthews will not start the IRONMAN World Championship on Thursday, October 6th. She had a bike and car accident in Texas. The experts predict that the Pro Women's race will be won by the women from Kona.

Helle Frederiksen is a Danish middle and long-course cyclist. She is an Olympic champion from London 2012. Helle won 37 podium finishes from 41 races since then.

Craig Alexander is a three-time IRONMAN and twice IRONSURER 70.3 World Champion. He won both titles in the same season in 2011.

Belinda Granger has 15 career iron-distance wins and five times finished in the top 10 in Kona. Belinda is heavily involved in sport as a pro-liaison for Challenge Family and a regular voice in live broadcasts for the Challenge, CLASH and the PTO.

Tim Don is a three-time Olympian and a World Champion in triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon. His time of 7:40:23 when winning at IRONMAN Brasil in 2017 was the quickest full-distance time recorded in an M-Dot event.

Daniela Ryf is the favourite to win the Ironman World Championship in Kona. She has won the title five times and five 70.3 Championship titles. Craig didn't pick her to do well in Utah. Helle and Belinda believe she's back to her best. Tim reckons she has a new lease of life. The winner will start at short odds with the bookmakers. The event takes place on Thursday. It will be held in the Kanaana resort.

There is a 50/50 split between Team Lucy Charles-Barclay and Team Laura Philipp for the IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2022. Helle Frederiksen and Belinda Granger are Team LCB. Craig and Tim are both TeamLaura. Craig thinks Lucy will lead from the front for a lot of the day in Konga. Crowie rates Laura highly. He thinks Laura was struck down with COVID in the lead up to the Utah Ironman. She is so consistent. and her marathon is such a weapon.

Belinda, Tim and Helle are picking the bronze medalists for the Kona World Championship in 2022. Tim Don is picking Anne Haug. Helen is unsure which of the German duo will complete the podium.

Belinda is confident that Haug will be part of another Kona podium. Hgga has only raced in Hawaii twice before. She finished third on her 2018 debut. Anne had a great race in July at Challenge Roth, defending her title.

The results of the experts panel's prediction of their panel for the Women's Pro race at the 2022 IRONMAN World Championship would be: Daniela Ryf, Lucy Charles-Barclay, Laura Philipp and Anne Haug.