Belgian triathlete Alexandra Tondeur swam, cycled and ran the Ironman in Thun, Switzerland, with a time of 9h25:57.
Five-time Ironman world champion Daniela Ryf bested Tondeur with a time of 8:59.05. The two will meet again for the 2022 Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
The Ironman Triathlon consists of a 3.86 km swim, a 180.25 km bicycle ride and a 42.20 km marathon. It is considered one of the most challenging endurance races in the world and draws professional and amateur athletes alike. Amateurs can qualify for the world championship through podium placement at one of the qualifying Ironman races.
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35-year-old Tondeur has worked her entire career to get to this point. In 2019, Tondeur won the Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in Spain and placed first in the 2017 half ironman in Luxembourg.
The next immediate challenge for Tondeur isn't the world championship in Hawaii itself, but how to get there. On Facebook and Instagram, Tondeur announced that, unless she secured funding for her trip, she will "watch it on TV" instead.
The world championship will take place on 6 October and will end on 8 October.
