When Daniela Ryf announced her retirement a few weeks ago, saying she would only race in 2024, the main question was: what is she still capable of? Last year at Challenge Roth – where she won in spectacular fashion – she broke the Long Distance World Record, at least showing that she is still among the very best athletes in the world.
This year she will mainly races the PTO T100 series and the Ironman World Championships, and last weekend she started her season at the T100 Miami race. After a somewhat mediocre start for her, Ryf fought her way up from the back to eventually finish in a strong fifth place. “It simply took me too long to find my rhythm on the bike. I’m not satisfied with my performance but pleased I could finish strong. The foundation is solid, yet I’m still missing that extra gear in all three disciplines.”
Main question: what to improve? For Ryf herself that’s pretty clear: “Areas for improvement: swim, bike, and run. Hungry and eager for more races like this.”
