Daniela Ryf wins Ironman Switzerland in Thun

Daniela Ryf celebrated a dominant start-to-finish victory in Thun, winning her third Ironman Switzerland title after previously prevailing in 2014 and 2016.

For the 34-year-old from Solothurn, it was a great opportunity to compete in front of her home crowd, especially after recently experiencing some health problems. “After feeling tired at the Collins Cup, I underwent several tests and ultimately was diagnosed with a fungal infection in the area of my stomach," Ryf explained her brief dip in form. "Here, I felt very good throughout the race and ultimately was very happy with my performance." Ryf had pulled ahead early during the swim, which was only 3 km instead of 3.8 km due to a misplaced buoy. Ultimately, the four-time Ironman World Champion arrived at the finish line more than 36 minutes ahead of the other competitors.

Ryf will close her season on September 18^th with a 70.3 World Championship race in St. George/USA. Afterwards, she will go on holiday, before re-starting her preparations for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, which has been postponed to February 5, 2022, due to the Corona pandemic.

Photo credit:

• Patrick Spahn
• gettyimages