We Noticed: A Legend Retires, Lake Placid Preview and more

When she took gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, Flora Duffy became Bermuda’s first-ever gold medalist, and also helped Bermuda to become the smallest country to ever win a Summer Games gold medal. Later that year she would become the first woman to win the Olympics and the World Championships in the same year. In 2022 she would also take her fourth world championship title.

Duffy competed at five Olympics in total, beginning with Beijing in 2008 and rounding things out in Paris in 2024, where she took fifth while dealing with an injury. Duffy took gold at the Commonwealth Games a couple of times, too – winning in 2018 and 2022. Duffy was also a master at off-road racing, taking an impressive six XTERRA World Championship titles, along with two Cross Triathlon World titles.

Duffy dabbled with some long-distance racing towards the end of her career, finishing fifth at the 70.3 worlds in 2022, and competing in a few T100 events in 2024, the highlight being a third-place finish at T100 Las Vegas.

“I feel at peace and content with the decision,” Duffy told World Triathlon’s Doug Gray. “It just got to a point with my body where I just kept breaking down and getting injured when I tried to train at the level needed to race the highest level. My body was just giving me clear signs and the timing felt right. I’ve had a long career. I’ve had a great career so I’m very happy with it all and just full of gratitude for the whole journey. I was lucky enough to start racing in 2006 when I did my first World Cup and went to the Beijing Olympics, so I caught the tail end of the Vanessa Fernandes and Emma Snowsill era, then going into like Emma Moffatt, Lisa Norden, Helen Jenkins, Gwen Jorgensen, Vicky Holland and Non Stanford and then going into race at the top with Jess Learmonth, Katie Zaferes, Georgia Taylor-Brown to name a few.”

“I also hope that I have inspired athletes from smaller countries that they also can reach the highest level and can win world titles and Olympic medals,” she continued. “You don’t need a big Federation to do that. You just need a few people to believe in you and be willing to go on this journey to make it all possible.”

“Flora Duffy is an icon and an inspiration,” said World Triathlon President Antonio F. Arimany. “From her first races to the very pinnacle of triathlon achievement, Flora has been a phenomenal ambassador for the sport and for her country. Her presence will be missed, but her legacy will live on and list of achievements may never be topped, such is the impact Flora has had since she joined the first ever Team ITU development squad back in 2006. On behalf of World Triathlon I would like to thank her for the remarkable contribution she has made to our sport and wish her every success for the next chapter.”

Previewing This Weekend’s IRONMAN Lake Placid

This Saturday’s IRONMAN Lake Placid race has lots of great story lines and should be a fascinating race to watch. American Matthew Marquardt returns to try to defend his title after a record-setting day at IRONMAN South Africa earlier this year, but should face some stiff competition from countryman Trevor Foley, who has been unbeaten in 2026 thanks to wins at IRONMAN New Zealand and IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania. (Marquardt was fourth at the Pennsylvania race.) Another big name to add to the mix is Belgian Marten Van Riel, who was second to Kristian Blummenfelt in Texas and won 70.3 Elsinore in June. As has become the norm at the list of potential podium finishers just keeps coming, including Kristian Høgenhaug, although he might still be a bit fatigued after racing Challenge Roth a couple of weeks ago, American’s Rudy Von Berg, Jason West and Ben Kanute, along with Germany’s Frederic Funk (also coming off of Roth) and Aussie Cameron Wurf.

Here’s the full men’s start list:

In the women’s race, last year’s runner-up, Lisa Perterer is hoping that she can move up to the top of the podium after finishing second to IRONMAN world champ Solveig Løvesth last year. Marta Sanchez, third here last year and coming off a third-place finish in Texas, too, will no doubt be looking for another podium finish. The list of potential podium finishers is every bit as deep here as with the men. You’ve got Chelsea Sodaro returning to racing after surgery earlier this year – she needs to finish the race to validate her Kona slot (she has an automatic slot thanks to her 2022 Kona win). Tamara Jewett is back after finishing fourth last year, and Grace Thek continues her move to full-distance racing after taking second at Challenge Roth in her debut last year and following that up with a fifth-place finish in Texas.

The big unknown factor in the race is the much anticipated full-distance debut for Canadian Paula Findlay. Findlay dominated IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania earlier this year and appears to be on an excellent build for this debut. The tough course will certainly fit well with her biking talent, but the big question will be how she fares through the marathon – pacing is critical at any IRONMAN race, but especially important on the hilly and challenging Lake Placid course.

Here’s the full women’s start list:

The race will feature live streaming – the coverage begins at 6 am EST and you can watch it here.

There is $125,000 in prize money split between the men and women up for grabs, along with four Kona qualifying slots per gender, too.

Joe Skipper Retires

Another big name also announced his retirement this month – British long-distance star Joe Skipper bowed out of racing at the Outlaw Holkham race near his home in Norfolk. It was the end of a 15-year pro career that began at Challenge Barcelona in 2012. He’s won 10 times over the full distance, including a couple of IRONMAN UK wins and other IRONMAN titles in Arizona, Wales, Chattanooga, Florida, New Zealand and Lake Placid (his last full-distance win, in 2023). In 2016 he took second at Challenge Roth and became the first British athlete to break the eight-hour mark. Earlier this year he was second at IRONMAN South Africa behind Matthew Marquardt.

Here’s how Skipper signed off in an Instagram post:

After a lot of thought, I’ve decided that the time has come to retire from professional triathlon. I had been thinking about it for a while but before Sundays race I knew walking to transition this was going to be the last time I would be lining up as a professional. On the bike racing around home roads in Norfolk it just felt to finish my career where it all started, it was a moment of clarity and even now a few days after making the decision it feels right. 

It’s difficult to put into words what the last 15 years have meant to me. This sport has taken me further than I ever imagined possible. I’ve raced across the world, stood on the top step of Ironman podiums, shared finish lines with the very best athletes in the world, and experienced highs that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. The sport has also taught me resilience through the lows, injuries, setbacks and days when giving up would have been the easier option. The highs have been unbelievable from completing my first Ironman at challenge Barcelona in 2012 to getting a podium at ironman Texas in 2015 when it was make or break, a bad result in that race would have been the end of it all. Podiuming at long course worlds, breaking the British Ironman record and becoming the first british athlete to go under 8 hours, the sub 7 experience, taking part in the Collins cup and being part of the winning team, 5th at Kona. 

When I started this journey, I simply wanted to see how good I could become. Looking back now, I can honestly say I gave everything I had. Every day it was all about what can i do to be better than yesterday, it’s been a wild ride and a truly amazing one. I can honestly say it has all been worth it and the stories and experiences i have had over the yeses will last a lifetime. 

The timing feels right. Rather than waiting for the sport to tell me it’s over, I wanted to make that decision myself. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, incredibly grateful for the career I’ve had, and excited for whatever comes next.

None of this would have been possible without so many people.

To my family and friends, thank you for your endless patience love and support throughout this journey.

2027 Challenge Roth Sells Out in 20 Seconds

According to race organizers, the individual slots for next year’s Challenge Roth sold out in 15 seconds, while relay team registrations filled in 18 seconds. (Athletes pre-register, so they are literally just hitting a button – in case you’re wondering how people fill out all that information so quickly.)

“We are overwhelmed by this incredible interest and the trust the athletes have placed in us. It shows just how much global appeal Roth has,” said race director Felix Walchshöfer.

There is a late entry draw which will have a minimum of 300 individual starting places and 25 relay spots – applications for that close on November 9 with the draw taking place on November 11, 2026.

WTCS Abu Dhabi Set for November

After the war in Iran forced the postponement of the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) Abu Dhabi race, we’ve been waiting to hear if the event will happen in 2026. World Triathlon has announced that the race will now take place “alongside the 2026 World Triathlon Multisport Championships Abu Dhabi” in November. Here’s the new schedule for the Multisport Worlds:

Friday 13 November – WTCS Abu Dhabi, individual sprint races
Saturday 14 November- WTCS Abu Dhabi, Mixed Relay Series
Saturday 14 November – Multisport Championships: Duathlon
Sunday 15 November – Multisport Championships: 2×2 Duathlon Mixed Relay
Tuesday 17 November – Multisport Championships: Cross Triathlon
Thursday 19 November – Multisport Championships: Cross Duathlon
Friday 20 November – Multisport Championships: Aquathlon
Sunday 22 November- Multisport Championships: Long Distance and Aquabike

And Speaking of Postponed Races: 70.3 Versailles Gets October Date

After the late announcement that IRONMAN 70.3 Versailles would have to be postponed due to concerns by local French authorities that the high temperatures due to the European heat wave would lead to the health and emergency services being overwhelmed, IRONMAN has been able to secure a new date for the event – October 11, 2026. The new event had been a popular addition to the IRONMAN calendar, selling out in just three hours.

The Versailles race was the fourth IRONMAN event affected by the heat wave in Europe – IRONMAN Nice and IRONMAN 70.3 Nice were cancelled, while IRONMAN Frankfurt had to be shortened.

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