Germany’s Laura Philipp showed tenacity at Ironman Kalmar, in a performance that revealed her strength ahead of the Ironman World Champs in a couple of months.

Ironman Kalmar offers an important moment in the tri calendar, as many pros race going for their final chance to qualify for an Ironman World Championship spot in Kona. The renowned spectator support did not disappoint, with the course covered in enthusiastic crowds cheering Laura Philipp (DEU) and Jonas Schomburg (DEU) all the way to respective wins. Philipp put on an absolute show of sheer tenacity, winning with an over 18-minute lead, while Schomburg took the tape for his first-ever Ironman victory. 

Here’s how the women’s race played out:

What happened in the swim

Leading the swim from start to finish on the ROKA Swim Course were America’s Rachel Zilinskas (USA) and Linda Brannlund (SWE), followed by a chase pack featuring 2024 Ironman World Champion Laura Philipp and Jackie Hering (USA). 

Philipp afterwards said: “The atmosphere before the swim was amazing. It was like the sunrise and so many people out there, and it’s a very special swim course. I’ve never done something like this. It was, yeah, pretty cool to navigate. When like on the furthest part out, it got quite choppy, but luckily I was like swimming with others, so that made it a little bit easier.”

What happened on the bike

The female athletes got out onto the bike course in that order, with Rachel Zilinskas hoping to hold the lead for as long as possible in a stacked field. However, she was quickly hunted down by Philipp, who then maintained first place throughout the Rouvy bike course. 

What happened on the run

Philipp was first out of T2 and onto the run course with over a six-minute lead, followed by Katrine Christensen (DNK), who has been having an incredible season and was gunning for gold today. However, Philipp was in a league of her own, and there was no question that she would take the win. With an over 18-minute lead, she took the tape in 8:13:37, a rapid time that beat the standing course best. 

Coming in second place was Katrine Christensen (DNK), with Jackie Hering (USA) joining her on the podium to complete the top three. 

Laura Philipp on winning: .I really wanted to prove to myself that I can ride strong on a flat bike course, and it was pretty, pretty windy out there today. So I think, yeah, I can be proud of the bike performance, and the run was one of a kind.” 

Lead image: Laura Philipp of Germany crosses the finish line to win the Women’s Pro Series event on August 15, 2026 in Kalmar, Sweden. (Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images for IRONMAN)

Helen Webster
Editor, 220 Triathlon

About

Helen has been 220’s Editor since July 2013, when she made the switch from marathons to multisport. She’s usually found open-water swimming and has competed in several swimruns as well as the ÖtillÖ World Series. Helen is a qualified Level 2 Open-Water Swim Coach focusing on open-water confidence and runs regular workshops at the South West Maritime Academy near Bristol. She is also an RLSS UK Open Water Lifeguard trainer/assessor.