Meet the Latest Brit on the Rise, IRONMAN South Africa Winner Daisy Davies 

Sporting the bright celeste of the Bianchi Pro Team, 23-year-old Daisy Davies is the latest Brit on the rise. She just won IRONMAN South Africa by over eleven minutes, beating out Katrine Græsbøll Christensen and Daniela Bleymehl. Leading out the swim and posting the fastest bike split, Davies crossed the line in 8:46:30 to take her second full-distance win (making her two for two) and earn her ticket to Kona. 

A product of British Triathlon, Davies started on the Olympic pathway as a young teenager. She has been national sprint triathlon champion twice (2021 and 2024) and even won the XTERRA Short Track World Championship in 2022 but, when she changed to fully focus on long course racing in 2025, she truly found her stride. Her immediate success—second place at The Challenge Championship and a win at Challenge Almere (where she beat out Els Visser by nearly fifteen minutes)—caught the attention of the Bianchi Pro Team. Team principal Bob de Wolf told Slowtwich in a previous interview that he has the same gut feeling about Davies and her potential that he had when he signed Kat Matthews. Kicking off her 2026 season with new equipment, more support and an early win that came with Kona qualification, Davies is just getting better and better.

Slowtwitch: Well done on your dominant win at Ironman South Africa. It’s your second full and second win. Tell us about the race and how it felt to win your season opener.

Daisy Davies: Thank you! First of all, I was really pleased and also quite relieved to take the win. My main goal of the season, both personally and for the Bianchi Pro Team, is Kona, so securing my slot in the first race was a big step. There are definitely a few areas to take forward and improve on from this race, but overall it was a great start to the season. 

Can you take us through your race set up, including tire size and pressure.

This year my kit setup has been a big step up thanks to the Bianchi Pro Team. Compared to last year, where a lot of my equipment came from eBay or Facebook Marketplace, it’s been a big change. I’m riding a Bianchi Aquila with 165mm Rotor cranks and a 56/44 chainring setup, Cadex wheels, and Pirelli P Zero SL-R tyres (28mm at 60psi).

What was your nutrition strategy and how did it actually play out during the race?

My nutrition strategy was to take in around 100–105g of carbs per hour through 6D gels and energy drink. Unfortunately, I lost a fair amount of nutrition on the bike, so I had to rely more on on-course options in the second half. I think that caught up with me later in the run, where I had a few issues with cramping and my stomach.

Care to share any power numbers on the bike? Did you have a specific power target or strategy?

Haha! I like to keep my power number a secret!  

You’ve been successful in half distance as well. Do you prefer one distance over the other? And what will you be focusing on this season?

I definitely prefer the full distance, but I’ll still be racing some half distances as well. It’s a great opportunity to try different strategies and make sure I don’t lose all of my speed.

You came through British Triathlon, but now you train primarily on your own in England. How do you look back on your short course experience? When did you make the decision to go long?

I was part of the British Triathlon pathway from the age of fourteen through to eighteen/nineteen, chasing the Olympic dream. I was still, like now, training on my own, but occasionally going up to the Bath Performance Centre to swim with the likes of Vicky Holland. I raced multiple European and World Championships as a junior and U23, with my best result being eighth at the U23 World Champs in 2022. In 2024 I did a couple middle distance and XTERRA races for fun and, after a coaching change at the end of that season, I shifted my focus more towards middle and long distance in 2025; the rest is history. 

What lessons have you learned about racing full distance so far? 

I’ve realised how much I enjoy racing on my own—just me and the race course, seeing how fast I can go. I’ve also learned how important fueling is. In short course the forth discipline is often seen as transition, but in long course I’d say it’s nutrition.

Best advice or worst advice about triathlon you ever received?

The best advice I’ve had is to be patient and play the long game. It’s easy to rush progress in this sport, but the biggest gains come from consistency over time. 

The worst advice is—something that I’m probably guilty of—is that more is always better. Yes, at times this is good but, I’ve learned that knowing when to hold back is just as important as pushing hard. 

What is the most important thing you have learned in the last year, triathlon or otherwise?

The biggest thing I’ve learned is the importance of balance. My life revolves around triathlon, and I love that, but I’ve realised that having things outside the sport is important too, for me that thing is my dogs. It helps keep perspective and actually makes me perform better when I am training and racing.

What do you wish people knew about you and your triathlon journey?

Probably that it’s not as straightforward as it might look from the outside. There’s many years of high volume, consistency and sacrifice that goes into it day to day. It’s not always perfect, but I enjoy the process and that’s what keeps me improving.

Do you have a philosophy or mantra that guides you? 

“Control the controllables.” I try to focus on what I can do each day—training, recovery, nutrition rather than the things out of my control. 

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