Ironman World Championship 2021 in photos

By Rob Slade

Published: Tuesday, 10 May 2022 at 12:00 am

After a two year hiatus, the Ironman World Championship returned on Saturday 8 May and, despite a host of dropouts, it did not disappoint.

Kristian Blummenfelt ran out the eventual winner in the men’s race, storming through on the run to add an Ironman to his Olympic and World Triathlon titles.

In the women’s race Daniela Ryf looked almost untouchable at the front, dominating for much of the day and crossing the finish line almost nine minutes clear of Kat Matthews.

Speaking of which, the Brit, who only turned pro in 2019, put in a sensational performance of her own, digging deep to keep plugging away on the run as former Ironman world champion Anne Haug attempted to chase her down.

Read our full Ironman World Championship men’s report and Ironman World Championship women’s report for a detailed account of the day, or take a flick through our gallery below for a taste of the highlights.

"Daniela
Daniela Ryf and Kristian Blummenfelt celebrate with a little dance after winning the 2021 Ironman World Championship in St George (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman)
"Kristian
Norwegian Kristian Blummenfelt celebrates as he adds the Ironman World Championship to a successful 12 months in which he also became Olympic and World Triathlon champion (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman)
"Daniela
Daniela Ryf let’s out a scream of jubilation as she nears the finish line to win her fifth Ironman World Championship (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman)
"Lionel
Canadian triathlete Lionel Sanders lets the emotion out as he approaches the finish line to place second during the Ironman World Championship, having just passed Braden Currie moments before (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman)
"Triathlete
Brit Kat Matthews celebrates a fantastic second-place after crossing the finish line at the 2021 Ironman World Championship in St George, Utah (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman)
"Braden
Braden Currie, who led a big chunk of the race before falling back to third, tackles the hilly run course under the watch of the stifling Utah sunshine (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman)
"Age-group
Age-group triathletes enjoy a brief respite from the sun as they tackle the hilly run course in St George (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman)
"Lauren
Lauren Parker competes on the handcycle during the race in St George, becoming the third female ever in the handcycle division to finish the Ironman World Championship. She crosses the line in 14:00:47, breaking the record by over 20 minutes (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman)
"Fenella
Brits Fenella Langridge and Laura Siddall duke it out on the bike leg of the 2021 Ironman World Championship. Both women will finish the race in the top 10 (Credit: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images for Ironman)
"Kat
Brit Kat Matthews grinds it out on the bike leg in St George on her way to an incredible second-place finish (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman)
"Cameron
Cameron Wurf puts the power down on the bike in St George, taking Lionel Sanders and eventual winner Kristian Blummenfelt with him (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman)
"Blue
Blue skies and towers of red rock prove a welcome distraction from a tough course at the 2021 Ironman World Championship in St George (Credit: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images for Ironman)
"Triathletes
Triathletes tackle the challenging bike course at the Ironman World Championship, with Utah’s red rocky walls creating a spectacular backdrop (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman)
"Age-group
An dives into Sand Hollow Reservoir at the start of the 2021 Ironman World Championships in St George (Credit: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images for Ironman)
"Triathletes
Age-group triathletes get their race started at the 2021 Ironman World Championship in St George with a swim in Sand Hollow Reservoir (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman)
"Anne
Former Ironman world champion Anne Haug collects herself after giving it her all on the run leg of the Ironman World Championship, eventually finishing third (Credit: Ryan Bethke)
Top image credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman