{"id":25116,"date":"2023-08-26T11:48:29","date_gmt":"2023-08-26T09:48:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.220triathlon.com\/?p=147627"},"modified":"2023-08-26T12:46:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-26T10:46:00","slug":"kat-matthews-running-into-form-ahead-of-hawaii-goal","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/rss_feed\/kat-matthews-running-into-form-ahead-of-hawaii-goal\/","title":{"rendered":"Kat Matthews running into form ahead of Hawaii goal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following a runner-up finish at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Finland, the British long course pro says it\u2019s full focus on Kona debut <\/p>

By Tim Heming\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Saturday, 26 August 2023 at 09:48 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Kat Matthews<\/a> missed the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii last year after a horrific bike crash<\/a> in Texas in the lead-up to the event.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But having finished second to Taylor Knibb<\/a><\/strong> in the Ironman 70.3 worlds in Finland<\/a><\/strong>, her post-race thoughts turned immediately to a delayed Kona debut.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be very disrespectful to say it [70.3 worlds] wasn\u2019t a big goal and I had full focus on this race, but right now all I\u2019m thinking about is Kona in seven weeks time,\u201d Matthews says, having finished just over 4min behind the dominant Knibb in 3:57:05 in Lahti.<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthews, 32, showed that she is timing her run to form perfectly for the Hawaii showdown, where she will line up as one of the favourites alongside six-time champion Daniela Ryf<\/a><\/strong>, 2019 winner Anne Haug<\/strong><\/a>, defending champion Chelsea Sodaro<\/a><\/strong>, and four-time Kona runner-up Lucy Charles-Barclay<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After posting a 1:16:38 run split (only bettered by 11th place Canadian Tamara Jewett) to first hold off Emma Pallant-Browne<\/a><\/strong> and then hunt down Imogen Simmonds, Matthews was effusive about her performance in Finland.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI had a really good day. They don\u2019t always come and I had a really bad day a couple of weeks ago,\u201d she said, referring to the PTO US Open in Milwaukee earlier this month when she finished seventh.<\/span><\/p>\n

It has so far been a remarkable year for Matthews, who began 2023 unsure of her health and fitness after the crash in Woodlawns, where a car turned into her and left her with numerous injuries including a fractured skull, back and hip.<\/span><\/p>\n

But after a third place opened her season in a packed field in Ironman 70.3 Oceanside in California in May, she faced down any demons by returning to Texas to win the third Ironman title of her career following a 2020 success in Florida and victory at Ironman UK in 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n

While it will be Matthews\u2019 debut in Hawaii on October 8, it won\u2019t be her first appearance at the Ironman World Championship, having finished runner-up to Ryf in the delayed 2021 event in St George, Utah in May.<\/span><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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