Triathlete Laura Philipp looks back on the greatest success of her career and, together with her husband and trainer Philipp Seip, describes what improvements are still possible.06.10.2024 | 21:59 minRest? Not an option for Laura Philipp. Two weeks ago, the Heidelberg native celebrated the ultimate success in her sport as winner at the Ironman World Championships in Nice.
But the 37-year-old will be heading to Las Vegas for the next triathlon on Monday. The penultimate race of the new T100 Triathlon World Tour takes place there. Four weeks later the last stop of the series follows in Dubai.
“We’re currently trying to get me a little faster,” said Philipp on Saturday evening during their visit to the “current sport studio”. The route will ultimately be shorter than last time in France.
In the T100 races she has to swim two kilometers, cycle 80 kilometers and run 18 kilometers – less than in the long-distance supreme discipline of triathlon, the Ironman with 3.86 kilometers of swimming, 180.2 kilometers on the bike and a marathon ( 42.195 kilometers running).
Triumph in Nice
Philipp remembered their victory in Nice on Saturday with a beaming smile on his face. What was it like in the last few meters of the marathon?
She was celebrating in her head, Philipp said, when she was certain shortly before the finish: “There’s no cramp on the horizon, I’ll make it there.”
This released an emotional valve for me, I was overwhelmed by so many feelings, I floated the last few steps.
Laura Philipp, professional triathlete
Laura Philipp has only been a professional triathlete since 2016. She had only learned how to swim a long distance crawl five years earlier, at the age of 24. She wasn’t a competitive athlete back then. She enjoyed climbing and cycling a lot.
“It took a long time before I could even crawl 50 meters,” she said. Why did she even try? “I wanted to learn something new again in later years.”
Laura Philipp won the Ironman World Championship for the first time in Nice in September. Sep 22, 2024 | 9:33 minutes
Fastest Ironman debut by a woman
In 2018, the triathlon late starter took part in an Ironman for the first time in Barcelona – and she won in 8:34:57 hours. It was the fastest Ironman debut by a woman. The following year, Philipp finished her first Ironman World Championships in Hawaii in fourth place.
She also came fourth in 2022 before rising to third last year. “That was important for my personal development,” said Philipp on Saturday. She now knew: “I’ll make it to the podium.”
And the fact that the women’s World Cup title was awarded in Nice this year and not in Hawaii suited her. She is used to the mountainous routes in the Odenwald:
I can go downhill and uphill and not just straight ahead.
Laura Philipp, professional triathlete
That’s why she liked the profile of the cycle route in France:
It was a really demanding, real cycling route with 2,400 meters of altitude, with really fast descents and hairpin bends, that was a great challenge.
Laura Philipp, professional triathlete
“The podium would of course be fantastic and is definitely the goal,” said triathlete Laura Philipp before the Ironman in Nice in an interview with ZDF presenter Florien Zschiedrich.09/20/2024 | 4:25 minutes
Two triathlon nerds united
Laura Philipp was and is supported on her unusual path by her husband and trainer Philipp Seipp. “We mix work and private life in the best possible way,” he said on Saturday in the “aktuelle sportstudio” and described it as a privilege “to be together all day.” Of course there is potential for conflict: “But we’re managing it well.”
They are “a bit of nerds,” said Laura Philipp, “constantly looking for little things that we can improve that will then make the difference overall.”
These include neuroathletics training with specialist Lars Lienhard, a training plan adapted to your menstrual cycle or even a daily piece of cake, because it’s important to treat yourself to something every now and then.
After her triumph in Nice, the 37-year-old is convinced: “My potential has not yet been exhausted.” The motivation is great to “take the tailwind with you”.
Philipp said she still sees “many great challenges” in sport. Among other things, defending their world title next year:
Going to the Ironman World Championships with start number one is something very special.
Laura Philipp, professional triathlete
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What: Reuters
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