Tallinn Triumphs: Bitados and Pohle Clinch IRONMAN 70.3 European Championship Glory
The Estonian capital of Tallinn hosted the IRONMAN 70.3 European Championship on Sunday, 25 August, with Panagiotis Bitados and Caroline Pohle emerging victorious in the Pro races. The event saw a packed field of nearly 100 professional athletes competing for coveted qualifying slots to the 2025 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Marbella, Spain, as well as valuable Pro Series points.
The race originally planned to begin with the men's swim at 09:00 local time (07:00 in the UK) and the women's swim 10 minutes later. However, due to water quality concerns in Lake Harku, the swim was shifted to Stroomi Beach, with athletes commencing their 1.9km journey in the Baltic Sea.
Fans worldwide could follow the action live via a multitude of platforms, including proseries.ironman.com, Outside TV, DAZN, LâÃquipe in France, and YouTube, providing free access to the event. The reliable IRONMAN Tracker also offered detailed data for both the Pro races and age-group events.
Contenders in the Women's Race:
Danish athlete Maja Stage Nielsen, currently fourth in the Pro Series standings, wore bib number one. However, the pre-race favourite was undoubtedly Kat Matthews, the current world number four and a previous winner of this event in 2020. Matthews boasts two Pro Series victories this season, in Vitoria-Gasteiz and Texas, and two T100 podium finishes.
The race also attracted the attention of top-ranked runner Tamara Jewett (CAN), who has shown impressive form in recent races, and Els Visser (NED), a consistent performer throughout 2024 with ten races, three wins, and eight podiums. Solveig Løvseth, a Norwegian Olympian with two 70.3 victories to her name, added another element of intrigue to the field.
A Fight for the Title in the Men's Race:
The defending champion, Pieter Heemeryck, was a key contender in the men's race. The Belgian, making his IRONMAN Pro Series debut and first 70.3 of the year, had focused on the T100 circuit, achieving a third-place finish in Singapore and a sixth in London. Heemeryck's recent success included victories at both IRONMAN Portugal-Cascais and IRONMAN 70.3 Knokke-Heist, propelling him to the tenth spot in the world rankings.
The men's field also featured Kacper Stepniak (POL), ranked #27 in the world, who was coming off a seventh-place finish at IRONMAN Frankfurt just a week prior. Experienced pro cyclist Cameron Wurf (AUS) was also in the mix as he built up towards the Kona race. Another notable competitor was Sam Dickinson, a member of the BMC Pro Tri team, who had recently assisted Alex Yee in claiming gold at the Paris Olympics and then delivered a strong performance in the Mixed Team Relay. His only previous 70.3 race resulted in a second-place finish to Vincent Luis in Bahrain in 2022.
Course Details and Adjustments:
The Tallinn course encompassed a 1.9km swim, a 90km bike ride, and a 21.1km run, offering a combination of city and countryside landscapes. Following water quality tests, the swim location was changed to Stroomi Beach, requiring adjustments to the bike and run courses to accommodate the new starting point.
The bike course presented a mix of city and countryside terrains, winding through the southern villages of Tallinn. The run course, largely flat and fast, offered athletes stunning views of Tallinn Bay and Stroomi Beach before culminating in front of the Rocca al Mare Shopping Centre.
Prize Money and Qualifying Slots:
The IRONMAN 70.3 European Championship Tallinn offered a $75,000 prize purse, with each of the winners receiving $12,000. In addition to the prize money, eight qualifying slots (four for men and four for women) were up for grabs for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, Spain in 2025. The prize money was distributed among the top ten finishers in both the men's and women's races.
The IRONMAN 70.3 European Championship Tallinn was a thrilling event, showcasing the dedication and talent of professional triathletes. As the season draws to a close, the race served as a crucial steppingstone for athletes seeking to secure a place at the World Championships and solidify their position in the Pro Series standings.
