In a nail-biting finale at Ironman Copenhagen, German athlete Finn Grosse-Freese delivered a late surge that stole the victory from Danish favorite Mathias Lyngso Petersen in the dying moments of the race. Just when Petersen seemed destined to take the win, Grosse-Freese produced a stunning final push, overtaking him within sight of the finish and sealing the triumph.
Swim – Tight at the Front
The day began with a tightly contested swim. Grosse-Freese, Emil Holm, Morten Schmidt, and Gabriel Sandör led the way, while Petersen, Rinel Pius, Jesper Svensson, Joe Begbie, and Christophe de Keyser were all within 30 seconds.
Bike – Svenningsson on a Mission
Early on the bike, Emil Holm impressed with a bold solo effort, carving out a substantial lead. But Sweden’s Rasmus Svenningsson was the man on a charge. Coming out of the water with a deficit of more than three minutes, he steadily clawed his way through the field. It took over 100 kilometers, but eventually Svenningsson reeled in Holm and seized control of the race.
By T2, Svenningsson’s dominance was clear: he arrived with a four-minute lead over Petersen, who had ridden strongly into second. Jesper Svensson followed another minute back, with Sandör and Grosse-Freese beginning the marathon two minutes later.
Run – Petersen in Control, Until He Wasn’t
The marathon shifted the dynamics again. Svenningsson, after all his heroics on the bike, was forced to withdraw early, handing the lead to Petersen. At halfway, the Dane looked strong, holding a 2:30 advantage over Grosse-Freese, who had run his way into second.
With 30 kilometers completed, Petersen had even stretched his gap slightly, and the win looked secure. But in the final kilometers, cracks began to show. His stride faltered, and Grosse-Freese sensed his moment.
With two kilometers to go, the gap was down to just 30 seconds. Moments later, Grosse-Freese stormed past a fading Petersen, the finish line almost in sight.
Results – Grosse-Freese the Hero, Petersen Heartbroken
Grosse-Freese stopped the clock at 7:27:34, claiming a career-defining victory. Petersen crossed in 7:28:10, left to wonder what might have been. Jesper Svensson secured third in 7:30:10, a result that also earned him the last available Ironman World Championship slot, with both Grosse-Freese and Petersen already qualified for Nice.