Kona’s cruellest twist: How Løvseth’s late collapse handed Knibb world title - TRI247

USA’s Knibb completed the Ironman and 70.3 world title double after Norway’s defending champion, Solveig Lovseth, collapsed within a kilometre of the finish. Taylor Knibb was first off the bike in the Ironman World Championship. Pic credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images for Ironman

Walking. Staggering. Falling to the ground multiple times and trying to get up and keep going every single time: the images will not be forgotten quickly and will be discussed for a long time to come. The fact remains that Solveig Løvseth was completely overcome by the heat in the very last kilometer of the Ironman World Championship, handing over an almost certain victory in Kona. Taylor Knibb capitalised fully, taking the win and her first Ironman world title on the Big Island. It must have been a bizarre sense of déjà vu for Taylor Knibb; last year, the American athlete went down in a similar fashion to Løvseth, making her the one to lose a virtually guaranteed victory back then. This year, with just 1.5 kilometers to go, Løvseth was defending a 1:15 minute lead over Knibb when things went completely wrong. Entirely disoriented and with zero control over her own body, Løvseth hit the ground multiple times, ran in the wrong direction at points, and simply couldn’t keep going. About ten kilometers earlier, things had already gone wrong for Lucy Charles-Barclay, who – also just like last year – was overcome by the heat and was unable to continue.

Thomas Andre and Colombe Julia (FRA01) have triumphed at the 2026 Offshore Double Handed World Championship, winning the final race after a nail-biting battle that went right down to the wire. The closing hours of the 190NM final race on Friday 2 October were sailed in light, fickle winds, with the lead changing hands between four boats. But it was FRA01 who found the best route through the final patches of breeze, crossing the finish line at 12:20:26, just over two days after setting off.

A year ago, U. S. Olympian Taylor Knibb, struggling in 80-degree heat, helplessly sat on the Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway as Norwegian Solveig Løvseth passed her with two miles left to win the 140.6-mile Ironman Kona triathlon title. On Saturday, the roles reversed. Løvseth, having overtaken Knibb with five miles left of the iconic endurance race, began wobbling on Palani Road, just one mile from the finish of the closing marathon run, following a 2.4-mile swim and 112-mile bike. Løvseth came to a stop with seven tenths of a mile to go — after more than eight hours of racing on Hawaii’s Big Island. Knibb, meanwhile, had dropped to nearly two minutes behind Løvseth. She walked through an aid station. She vomited. Her manager wrote on a white board for her to see, “vomiting is normal.”

Culture>NewsBeyond her inspiring victory on the Big Island, Taylor Knibb’s message reminded us why endurance sports create a bond unlike any other. An emotional Taylor Knibb looks out at the crowd after winning the 2026 Ironman World Championship in Kona. (Photo: Brad Kaminski/Triathlete)Updated October 11, 2026 11:47AMIn this job, I’m not supposed to have favorites. I’m supposed to be an impartial reporter of events, especially when it comes to a race like the Ironman World Championship. But I really, really wanted American Taylor Knibb to win this year – not because we share the same nationality, but because we share the same philosophy. I think you, as a triathlete, share that philosophy, too.