Luis and Knibb Crowned World Champions in Kona

Here I was, thinking this year’s IRONMAN World Championship might be a little calmer than last year’s chaos. Surely we couldn’t get that kind of can’t-miss action two years in a row?

Hah.

This race only seems to get better, and this past weekend delivered another all-timer. We’ll take you through all of it below.

Also, were you racing in Kona, or cheering on the ground? We want to hear about your experience in today’s poll. And if you weren’t on the island (like me), we want to know what you thought all the same!

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

Luis and Knibb Crowned World Champions in Kona

On Saturday, Vincent Luis (FRA) and Taylor Knibb (USA) became the 2026 IRONMAN World Champions. Knibb - who suffered a catastrophic collapse in 2025 - turned the tables and delivered victory in a drama-filled finish.

Luis - competing in his final race after a storied 20-year professional career - capped it off with a fairytale win.

Swim

For the first time since 2022, men and women raced together in Kona. Morning rain and an unusual swell greeted them as the cannons fired to kick off the chaos.

Pre-race favorites Martin Van Riel (BEL) and Jonas Schomburg (GER) pushed the pace early and were swapping turns at the front. Halfway through, there was still a large, strung out pack of 30 athletes containing favorites like Kristian Blummenfelt, Gustav Iden, Sam Laidlow, and Luis.

Meanwhile, Lucy Charles-Barclay swam like she’d been shot out of the starting cannon! Within seconds, she had multiple body lengths on the rest of the field. Behind her, a large pack formed with Taylor Knibb at the head. Kat Matthews, Laura Philipp, Solveig Løvseth, and Findlay also in tow.

When the men exited the water, Van Riel led the slightly smaller group with Schomburg, Luis, Laidlow and Matthew Marquardt.

• Blummenfelt +30”

• Iden +1:52

• Cameron Wurf +6:30

• Sam Long +6:38

Charles-Barclay would not look back, and as the swim ended she had a 90 second gap over her nearest competior.

• Taylor Knibb +1:30

• Julie Derron, Imogen Simmonds +1:45

• Kat Matthews, Paula Findlay +3:36

• Solveig Løvseth +4:06

• Laura Philipp +8:38

Bike

Schomburg - as is his brand - attacked early. And about halfway through the ride he had almost 2’ on the chasers. But after Hawi, cramps struck the German. He was quickly jettisoned by a fast-moving trio of Marquardt, Gregory Barnaby, and Magnus Ditlev.

Not long after, penalties were given to Marquardt and Iden for drafting. 3 minutes in the box. In the seven-hour-race context it seems small. But with a World Championship on the line, it could mean everything.

The Marquardt penalty hit Ditlev like bolt of lightning. From there, the Dane pushed to T2 and built up over 90” to the next athlete.

• Sam Laidlow +1:30

• Matthew Marquardt +2:23

• Kristian Blummenfelt +6:02

• Vincent Luis +6:04

• Gustav Iden +9:19

In the women’s race, Charles-Barclay held off Knibb until the 50km mark. Both athletes would trade the lead - reminiscent of last year - before Knibb pulled away as they neared Hawi. Behind, Simmonds and Derron were working together until Derron received a drafting penalty of her own.

On the ride home, Knibb took control of the race and entered T2 with a 3 minute gap on Charles-Barclay. Løvseth had a very strong second half and finished the ride 4:48 in arrears of Knibb - which as we learned last year - can quickly be erased…

• Lucy Charles-Barclay +3:06

• Solveig Løvseth +4:48

• Imogen Simmonds +5:00

• Paula Findlay +5:24

• Julie Derron +9:11

• Laura Philipp +9:52

Run

Back to Ditlev. The big Dane - having suffered injuries, setbacks, even a bad case of the shingles - since his second in Kona in 2024, was now leading the World Championships. And halfway through the marathon, he’d built up an even bigger lead. 4:26 to Marquardt - who himself was 20” ahead of a trio of Barnaby, Blummenfelt, and Luis.

10km later Ditlev had slowed, and Blummenfelt, who seemed invincible on every run course this year, also began to falter. Shockingly, he would be dropped by Luis.

In the final 10km, Ditlev saw his World Championship hopes unravel in crushingly dramatic fashion. His run became a wobble, then a walk, then a DNF. Not long after, Luis took the lead.

• But it wasn’t over yet. Iden had clawed his way back. With 7km to go, he was only 45” back of the leader. Another split - 41". The next - 3km till the finish - 42”.

Luis - on the cusp of what he would later call “the pinnacle of his career,” found another gear. Iden could not catch. And the Frenchman, an athlete who has always been one of one, had come to Kona and become the one who had won.

As Luis lifted the tape, Knibb continued to hold her lead. But the advantage had come down significantly to Løvseth. Charles-Barclay, who seemed to have measured her effort more this year, could not avoid another DNF in the energy lab.

With 8km to go Løvseth moved passed Knibb and seemed to be cruising into the lead. Knibb had a stranglehold on second as Philipp was almost six minutes back of the American.

• Many - myself included - figured it was over. Ridiculous. Had I not learned anything from last year?

Løvseth was making her way along Hualālai road, about a kilometer between her and an incredible defense of her Kona crown, when suddenly, she swayed.

Seconds later, she was on the ground. She lay there for some time before getting up and desperately trying to will herself to the finish. Her arms pumping and grasping - trying as best she could to make her legs move.

But they wouldn’t and once again, she collapsed.

Knibb would run past as Solveig had the year prior. The tables had turned, and improbably, Knibb had retaken the lead. She had raced with experience, with maturity, and with patience. A year later her demons had been defeated, and she lifted the tape a World Champion.

Podium

Men

• 🥇 Vincent Luis (FRA)

• 🥈Gustav Iden (NOR)

• 🥉Matthew Marquardt (USA)

Full race results

Women

• 🥇 Taylor Knibb (USA)

• 🥈Laura Philipp (GER)

• 🥉Julie Derron (SUI)

Full race results

What else?

Series slingers: Gustav Iden and Laura Philipp are $200k richer after winning the IRONMAN Pro Series titles in dramatic fashion.

Champion’s heart: Solveig Løvseth looked to be done as she collapsed only a mile from the finish. But she rallied like the champion she is to eventually cross the finish line in 8th.

DNF devastation: Others like Laidlow, Lucy Charles-Barclay, and Patrick Lange - in his final race in Kona - unfortunalty DNF’d. According to Laidlow, he may have to get surgery.

People’s champ: Are we crying after Gustav Iden discusses the hardships - including the death of his mother - that he faced before returning to the podium in Kona? Absolutely.

Tough calls? “Well if they didn’t get a penalty than they could have won?!?” Yes - but Iden and And Marquardt DID get penalties, presumably because the ref determined they were breaking the rules. I’m glad to see penalties being issued at this race - I thought many were missed in Nice.

Your Thoughts

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