In the aftermath of the pandemic and rescheduling of events, Ironman eventually hosted two Ironman World Championships last year – one in Utah in May and then a return to the more familiar climes of Hawaii in October.
For 43-year-old Laura Siddall, the races less than five months apart provided the opportunity to not just enjoy an Indian summer to her professional career, but issue a statement that she still had plenty to say when it came to the sharp end of races.
Two top 10s, seventh in St George followed by 10th in Kona, gave the Boulder-based Brit renewed confidence heading into 2023, and following an early season hit-out and podium finish in Chile, all looked well as she headed to Florianopolis for the planned qualification race in Ironman Brazil.
A spanner in the works
Then everything changed. A collision with a car during the bike leg knocked Siddall unconscious with a brain bleed and concussion, left a legacy of ongoing headaches and – far lower on her list of concerns – needing a new bike.
It resulted in the longest period of enforced rest Siddall has had since switching from life as a mechanical engineer to begin her professional sporting career in 2014.
“I haven’t ever had that long doing completely nothing,” Siddall explains. “It’s been a challenge building back and managing different energy levels and headache symptoms.”
As she began the road to recovery, Ironman offered Siddall a slot for the World Championship.
While it’s typically a qualification-only race, this wasn’t without precedent for the event organiser, with both USA’s Matt Russell and Germany’s Andreas Dreitz being handed starts for previous races in Hawaii after they were also seriously injured due to accidents with vehicles during 112-mile bike legs.
As with Russell and Dreitz, Siddall appears to bear no bitterness towards the company. “I’m just super grateful that Ironman granted me a wildcard to race,” Siddall explains, but says expectations for Saturday’s race are muted given the limited preparation time.
“They are lower [than last year] given the circumstances of going through the crash and rehab, but with the time available, [coach] Julie [Dibens] has got me in the best shape possible.”
Room for improvement
While Siddall might not be in the same physical condition – she ranks her Kona performance in 2022 as second only to Challenge Roth in 2017 where she finished runner-up to Daniela Ryf – there could still be some room to eke out some improvements.
“One of the first things Julie said was that we should review last year’s race and the elements that could have been executed better. That’s been the focus for this year.”
It’s a message that underlines just how many factors make up a nine-hour race that can also be optimised; smart pacing in the swim, where to lay down the power on the bike, or fuelling and hydration strategies on the run, for example.
While another top 10 might be a longshot, Siddall is used to adapting to thrive. Having turned professional aged 33, when she was working in Australia, her triathlon career has taken her via Sydney, San Francisco, Christchurch in New Zealand and Girona in Spain to now live and train in Colorado.
A four-time Ironman champion, including three victories in Ironman Australia, in 2019 she recovered from a broken collarbone to regain form and fitness to twice more finish on the podium before the year was out, including a third place in Ironman Wales.
Siddall’s pick for the win
As part of the athlete board at the Professional Triathletes Organisation, an ambassador for race organisers Challenge Family, and involved in sustainability projects such as promoting the recycling of running shoes, she also remains a fan of the sport and if she wasn’t racing on Saturday would be cheering on the sidelines.
“It’s going to be an incredible race with some incredible females racing,” she says.
“If you take away the 70.3 specialists like Ash Gentle, Paula Findlay, Emma Pallant-Browne and Holly Lawrence, there is nobody who isn’t here. Hawaii just brings everybody from the sport and industry together. You just see so many people you know.”
As for picking a winner… “It’s so hard: Kat [Matthews], Taylor [Knibb], Daniela [Ryf], Chelsea [Sodaro], Anne [Haug]. If Daniela is on form she could be in another postcode, but she could equally take Taylor with her.
“We don’t know what Taylor will be like over the long distance, but she has the potential. Kat is in really good shape, you can’t write off Anne, but no-one is really talking about Chelsea, and she is your defending champion.”
While Lucy Charles-Barclay and Laura Philipp complete the seven front runners, Siddall warns that the race dynamics mean we can expect outsiders to figure too.
“We get people who will boom or bust – go for the win or nothing – and we get people who will be steady all day and pick up the pieces as everyone else crumbles.
“That leaves a whole stack of women who could be top five if the cards fall their way on race-day: Skye Moench, Fenella Langridge, Daniela Bleymehl, Lisa Norden. Sara Svensk. Sarah Crowley, who knows how to race this race and finish on the podium. Do I think they are going to be on the top step? Probably not, but they could have an impact on the the race.”
Experience could also play a role, with Siddall pointing out that there are only half-a-dozen athletes who’ve raced in Hawaii more than five times. Experience that could also come in handy when it comes to knowing somewhere to refuel post-race.
“Lava Java, Kona Brewing Co, splashing out at the Four Seasons, or Lava Lava Beach Club in Waikoloa is pretty cool at sunset. But a burger and fries anywhere on the run course in town is great – and one year I had three enormous pizzas balanced on my aerobars and took them to the media tent.”
While Siddall wouldn’t say no to a result like last year, 220 wouldn’t say no to the pizza delivery either.
Top image credit: Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images
