Triathlon drama: Flat tire stopped Anne Haug at the Ironman World Championships

The starting gun was fired at 7:15 a.m. on Sunday morning for the Women's Ironman World Championship in Nice, France. Also at the start was Anne Haug, who had set a new world record at the Challenge Roth in July. But the 41-year-old from Bayreuth's luck on the Côte d'Azur was not to be held back.

Flat rear tire stops co-favorite for the World Championship title

The race ended for last year's vice world champion after just under an hour. After a good 3.8-kilometer swim in the Mediterranean, Anne Haug came out of the water 3:54 minutes behind. However, shortly after switching to the bike, Haug had a flat rear tire. She was able to change the tube herself, but difficulties arose when inflating the tire using a CO2 cartridge. Anne Haug waited minute after minute for technical help, but it never came. She finally dropped out of the race. The 2024 World Championships ended prematurely for the 2019 Ironman World Champion due to a technical defect.

Anne Haug: World Cup exit due to bike defect

As Anne Haug's manager Frank Übelhack confirmed to BR24 when asked, the tire's casing had a crack, which caused the flat tire. How the crack came about in the casing could only be guessed at, but a metal object probably caused the relatively large hole, Übelhack continued.

“That is the worst thing that can happen to an athlete on a day like this.” Frank Übelhack, Managing Director Anne Haug

Anne Haug, who returned to the hotel after the race, has not yet made any statement. Her manager also finds it difficult to put what happened into words.

Anne Haug has been on the World Championship podium every year since 2018. In 2019 she was at the top, and last year she came second behind Lucy Charles-Barkley from Great Britain. The defending champion had to withdraw from the competition at short notice due to injury. This meant that Anne Haug, along with Germany's Laura Philipp, was considered a top contender for the title.