On a soggy Fourth of July day on the rugged bike and run legs in Bolton, Great Britons Joe Skipper and Katrina Matthews won decisive victories.
Men
To start the day, Sam Laidlow of France opened the festivities with a 47:08 swim split that gave him a 16 seconds lead on Elliot Smales of Great Britain, a 1:19 lead on Adam Bowden of the UK, 4:58 on Leon Chevalier of France and 6:14 on Skipper.
After a men’s-best 4:55:39 bike split over Bolton’s formidable hills, Laidlow was 7 minutes ahead of fellow Frenchman Leon Chevalier, who posted the men’s second-best 4:57:47 bike split, and 14 minutes ahead of Skipper, who rode 5:02:43.
On the way to a sizzling fast 2:41:45 marathon, Skipper passed Laidlow with 10 kilometers to go and finished in 8:42:59 with an 8:42 margin over Laidlow (3:03:56 run split) and 8:49 over third-place finisher Chevalier (2:56:19 run split).
Women
With only three pro women from Great Britain to contest the event, Katrina Matthews led the swim with a 55:53 clocking which gave her a 5 seconds margin on Nikki Bartlett and 17 seconds on Chantal Cummings. With a women’s-best 5:32:22 bike split, Matthews extended her lead to 6:09 on Bartlett and 10;38 on Cummings at T2.
Still on the gas during a women’s-best 3:06:39 marathon, Matthews finished in 9:40:01 with a 22:42 margin on Bartlett and 30:32 on third place finisher Cummings.
Ironman UK
Bolton, Great Britain
July 4, 2021
S 2.4 mi. / B 112 mi. / R 26.2 mi.
Men
1. Joe Skipper (GBR) S 53:22 T1 3:28 B 5:02:43 T2 1:42 R 2:41:45 TOT 8:42:59
2. Sam Laidlow (FRA) S 47:08 T1 2:28 B 4:55:39 T2 2:31 R 3:03:56 TOT 8:51:41 +8:42
3. Leon Chevalier (FRA) S 52:06 T1 2:50 B 4:57:47 T2 2:47 R 2:56:19 TOT 8:51:48 +8:49
4. Elliot Smales (GBR) S N/A T1 2:31 B 5:07:38 T2 2:32 R 3:01:18 TOT 9:01:21 m
5. Adam Bowden (GBR) S 48:27 T1 2:45 B 5:22:15 T2 3:29 R 2:51:46 TOT 9:01:40
6. Fabian Rahn (GER) S 1:01:29 T1 3:03 B 5:22:14 T2 2:21 R 2:47:50 TOT 9:16:56
Women
1. Katrina Matthews (GBR) S 55:53 T1 3:03 B 5:32:22 T2 2:07 R 3:06:39 TOT 9:40:01
2. Nikki Bartlett (GBR) 55:58 T1 2:56 B 5:38:34 T2 2:48 R 3:22:30 TOT 10:02:43 +22:42
3. Chantal Cummings (GBR) S 56:10 T1 2:50 B 5:42:57 T2 2:03 R 3:26:36 TOT 10:10:33 +30:32
