Ironman Cozumel delivered its usual blend of fast currents, taxing heat, and bold moves across all three disciplines – yet it was French athlete Arthur Horseau who rose above the chaos to claim a decisive victory in 7:48:18. In the women’s race Lisa Perterer was simply from another level, dominating from start to finish.
The race’s opening 3.8 km swim saw three men break away early. Sven Thalmann, Michele Sarzilla, and Joaquin Pareda exited the water just over the 41-minute mark on what was again a notably short, current-assisted swim course. Meanwhile, several major contenders found themselves well back, including Horseau, who emerged in 28th place with an eight-minute deficit.
Once on the bike, the race dynamic shifted dramatically. Thalmann initially held the front solo, but the real action came from behind. Damien le Mesnager, already known for his devastating bike power after shredding the field at Challenge Mallorca last month, surged through the pack and grabbed the lead around the 100 km mark.
He was soon joined – and ultimately overtaken – by Germany’s Jesse Hinrichs, before Horseau made his own decisive bridge to the front. The Frenchman arrived in T2 with a gap of more than a minute on the chasers, setting up what would become a winning marathon.
Although Mesnager briefly moved past him around the six-kilometer mark of the run – and figthing himself back into a strong position – Horseau quickly reasserted control and never looked back. He maintained a steady, unthreatened pace all the way to the finish line to secure the win.
Behind him, a tight battle unfolded for the remaining podium spots. Almog Elazary of Israel claimed second in 7:52:38, while Sweden’s Sebastian Norberg closed fast to take third in 7:52:52.
In the women’s race, Austria’s Lisa Perterer delivered a superb all-round performance, taking the victory in 8:29:29. During the swim, Perterer still had Colombia’s Diana Castillo Franco with her, but once she was able to start the bike after 47:47, the suspense disappeared almost immediately. Throughout the day her lead only grew, before she eventually took the victory in a dominant way of fashion. Sara Svensk finished second in 8:50:44 and Marta Lagownik finished third in 8:53:12.