The Contenders Talk: Ironman 70.3 World Championships 2022 Press Conference

Published October 26, 2022 11:06AM

Ironman 70.3 World Championship 2022 Press Conference: Women’s Race

Paula Findlay

“In 2018. I won one of my first 70.3s here [in St. George]. The field is very different. I feel like I’m a much different athlete now, but it’s always such a great feeling to come back here. Since then, I’ve been here four or five times so I’m really familiar with the course and just really, really love that familiarity and loving it here. I think most of the women in the race have done this before. It’s a kind of course advantage, but it’s fun to come back to a course I know really well.”

Flora Duffy

“So much has happened since January 2020 [South Africa 70.3]. That’s actually the only 70.3 I’ve done. I have tried to do others, and I think everyone knows those stories behind the races...I don’t know how I managed to catch Emma in South Africa – I think both of us finished that race and we’re like, What happened? But I won, and if I can run like that on Friday, I’ll be very happy.”

Holly Lawrence

“I always aim to build toward the 70.3 World Championship during the year, I always want to put my strongest performance out for this time of year. And this year, it’s been a bit later than normal, but I think it took me a little bit of time…so I’m kind of glad that it’s a bit later.”

Emma Pallant-Browne

“I’ve had good leads and good races, but we always felt that I kind of peaked mid-season. So I tried something different and took two months of not racing. Now I’m going into this race starting afresh, and hopefully can have a good performance.”

Taylor Knibb

“Last year’s race with Lucy [Charles-Barclay] was a whole different race. Anything can happen. There are a lot of new strong women in the field who might not have been here last year. I’m grateful to race in the United States. I think it’s more beneficial in terms of having some familiarities, especially going to the grocery store. That’s what helps me, at least.”

Lucy Charles-Barclay

“It’s been a very different year. This will only be my fourth race of the year. Normally, I would have raced a lot more by this point, so I feel fresher than I normally would. We always knew that I was going to race here after Kona. I just needed to finish Kona and put that behind me, then focus fully on this race. I feel like we’ve done that really well mentally, and my body seems to have kept up and it’s been pretty fresh.”

Ironman 70.3 World Championship 2022 Press Conference: Men’s Race

Frederic Funk

“It’s a really tough bike course, especially in the second half. You have that point when everyone gets tired, and you can be really anxious getting started on the bike. I think the course plays to my advantage. I think I can make a difference.”

Kristian Blummenfelt

“I’ve been here a bunch now with the third world championship race here, been on the course quite a lot…I think three weeks in between the full and half distance should be doable. I’m getting ready again and feeling sharp. I’m excited for another race.”

Eric Lagerstrom

“I really do get excited about racing. For Santa Cruz, I drove down in my van, and I slept in and raced, and I won. It sounded like this really big epic adventure, and that gets me excited. Just like this race. Like, coming here and having that result…having a big result here is really cool stamp of legitimacy. It’s going to be amazing. Everyone here is so incredible.”

Miki Taagholt

“I definitely had my breakthrough race here last year, and being back here is so amazing. I have so many amazing memories from last year. I love the course, i love the city, I love the support. I feel it when I’m going around the city.”

Sam Long

“I didn’t do Kona because it’s not the be-all, end-all. I looked at the whole season and I chose a lot of matches over the whole course of the season, and Kona wasn’t my calling this year. This is important. Every time you start a race, it’s important, and any world championship is super important.”

Gustav Iden

“Having my two 70.3 titles, it’s been a good career so far. And then adding Kona, you feel satisfied but also empty in a way, coming off such a big victory. So it’s not that I’m going into this race as I’ve done before, like my career really depends on winning this race. The previous years, I’ve felt like I have to prove my career and my sponsors and everything, but for now, I did so well in Kona. I feel it’s hard to go into this race hungry, but I will do my best to perform.”

Free live coverage of the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in St. George will air exclusively on Outside Watch October 28 and 29. Outside+ Members will also be able to watch the race coverage on demand after the conclusion of the event.