An Interview With Reigning Ironman World Champion Solveig Lovseth

“Kona is definitely my biggest goal for the year,” Solveig Lovseth shared as we sat down to catch up with the reigning Ironman World Champion, who stunned the sport by running her way to victory in her rookie appearance on the Big Island.

At just 26 years old, Lovseth now finds herself in a position few athletes in the sport ever reach: returning to Kona not as an underdog, but as the defending champion.

“Since Daniela Ryf, no women have been able to go back-to-back in consecutive years, so I don’t really feel the pressure,” she said with a smile. Yet the opportunity in front of her is undeniably significant.

We sat down with Lovseth to discuss her rapid rise in long-course racing, her transition from short-course triathlon, the mindset shaping her success, and what comes next as she returns to Kona this October as the defending champion.

From the 2024 Paris Olympic Games to Kona Victory in 2025

When we asked Solveig Lovseth about her transition from short-course to long-course racing, she shared that she raced her first 70.3 in 2023 at Ironman 70.3 Indian Wells, where she took the win on debut.

Much of 2024 was then centered around the 2024 Paris Olympics, though she also raced Ironman 70.3 Warsaw that year, where she took first place, as well as Ironman 70.3 Tallinn, where she finished third. She followed that with the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Taupo, where she placed 13th, noting it was not a great race for her.

Importantly, however – and perhaps somewhat serendipitously in hindsight – Lovseth shared that while in New Zealand, she spent time training and living alongside fellow Norwegian Casper Stornes, who began discussing his plans to step up to the Ironman distance.

“Without Casper putting it out there, it would not have crossed my mind at that time,” Lovseth shared. “I didn’t have a good day in Paris and thought I would spend another four years primarily in short course pursuing LA 2028. But then I realized I’m not that young in the sport. If I waited another four years, that would put me at 29, and I always knew I eventually wanted to try an Ironman. So yeah, Casper and I decided to both give that a go.”

“And you both won the World Championship!” I added.

“Yes, it worked out pretty well for us,” she said with a laugh.

In doing so, both added to what is becoming something of Norwegian triathlon folklore: winning the Ironman World Championship on debut (Kristian Blummenfelt in 2021, Gustav Iden in 2022, Lovseth and Stornes in 2025).

And it was Lovseth’s 2025 season that truly established her as one of the sport’s fastest-rising long-course stars. She opened her Ironman career with a rookie record of 8:12:28 in Hamburg, followed by a win and course record of 8:43:29 in Lake Placid, and of course, victory in Kona.

Combined with her win at Ironman 70.3 Jesolo, third place at Ironman 70.3 Zell am See, and sixth at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, she also finished second overall in the 2025 Pro Series standings.

The Mindset of a Champion

At several Ironman pro panels, including those before her major victories in Kona and more recently in Texas just three weeks ago, Solveig Lovseth has stood out not for bold predictions or outward confidence, but almost the opposite. She has consistently come across as humble, grounded, and remarkably open about not placing excessive pressure on herself.

Ahead of Ironman Texas, Lovseth spoke about how much more she has been enjoying racing since stepping into long-course triathlon, explaining that the stress feels lower than it did during her short-course years.

Fellow competitor Kat Matthews, seated beside her at the panel, quickly joked: “Winning helps!” prompting laughter from Lovseth.

And certainly, winning does help. But it also feels possible that Lovseth’s mindset itself may be part of what enables her success.

While many former champions have spoken openly about “carrying the weight of the Kona crown,” Lovseth instead told us, “perhaps I’m too easy on myself.” She explained that, for her, success is ultimately measured less by the result itself and more by whether she has committed fully to the preparation and delivered her best performance on race day.

She also emphasized how important it is for her to genuinely enjoy both the sport and the lifestyle that comes with being a professional athlete.

“If I’m not enjoying it anymore,” she said, “that’s when I’ll know it’s time to do something else.”

In many ways, that perspective may be part of what makes Lovseth such a compelling champion: someone whose easy-going nature clearly coexists with a remarkable ability to perform at the highest level of the sport.

Lovseth’s Favourite Training Days – and the “Norwegian Method”

When asked about her favourite training, Lovseth shared two very different types of sessions that resonate with her for very different reasons.

“The Sunday before a race, we’ll typically do a big brick with race-specific efforts, whether at 70.3 pace or Ironman pace,” she shared. “I love those sessions for so many reasons. First, they’ve been going well for me, so they give me confidence. I also love putting in a big session like that and then having the rest of my Sunday off…after, of course, having some ice cream or a burger, fries, and milkshake,” she added with a smile, referring to some of her favourite hard-earned post-workout treats.

“But I also really love the easy sessions in beautiful places,” she continued.

Lovseth noted that Sierra Nevada, where she frequently attends training camps alongside fellow Norwegians Blummenfelt, Iden, and Stornes, is one of her favourite locations because of its scenery and atmosphere. She shared that she especially enjoys the sessions where she can simply be out running or riding, taking in the surroundings without needing to focus on specific targets or paces.

And as for the “Norwegian method”? Of course, we had to ask.

“There is no secret to our training,” Lovseth said with a laugh. “We’re all pretty open about it. You can see what the guys are doing on Strava. I’d say it’s just a lot of hard work and a lot of fun.”

What Comes Next

Solveig Lovseth has already opened her 2026 season with a runner-up finish behind Taylor Knibb at Ironman 70.3 Oceanside, followed by a victory at Ironman Texas.

Next up is Ironman Hamburg this weekend. After that, her schedule is expected to include Ironman 70.3 Swansea, the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice, and then a return to the Big Island. Only this time, she’ll arrive not as the rookie who surprised the sport, but as the reigning Ironman World Champion.