A day of firsts for Sam Laidlow – meet your new Ironman world champion

It was his first Ironman win. (Fitting, since that had been an ongoing joke in the family that his first would be the world championship.) He just became the youngest Ironman world champion – another goal he’s always had. He’s the first Frenchman to win the Ironman World Championship, too. (Even though he was born in Britain, anyone who saw him belting out the words to the French national anthem on the podium knows he most definitely feels that he represents the home country here in Nice.)

Sam Laidlow took second at his first go at the Ironman World Championship in Kona last year, leading the charge that saw Gustav Iden blast through an incredible 2:36 marathon just to get to the line a couple of minutes ahead. No less an athlete than Kristian Blummenfelt was unable to catch the young Frenchman on the Big Island last year.

Sam Laidlow nails Nice with huge Ironman World Championship win

As he crossed the line today the emotion was clear. He was quick to say a thanks to Mom, Dad and Jake for their support.

“Something I’ve envisioned for a long time now is crossing the finish line at the world champs and saying ‘Mom, Dad, Jake, we did it,'” he said. “For it to actually happen, I couldn’t believe it. It’s real. It hasn’t quite sunk in. I wish for anybody to feel that level of emotion. Dedicating 10 years to something and trying and trying and trying and finally getting there.”

“People always think I came out of nowhere in Kona, but I did my first Ironman when I was 18,” he said. “I’ve already done three world champs. I think that’s what made my performance so good is that my dad really saw the long-term development. He wasn’t trying to make me the best 15-year-0ld triathlete. In his eyes I’m still far from where we want to get and there’s room for lots of improvement, and I agree. If there’s one bit of advice that I would give is to look at the long term picture. There’s that famous quote – people are always overestimate what they can do in a day, and underestimate what they can do in a year.”

 

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Opened eyes

Laidlow arrived in Nice with a couple of wins to his name this year (Challenge Gran Canaria and  Challenge London), along with a couple of DNFs (Lanzarote and the PTO Asian Open). At Challenge Roth he rode with Magnus Ditlev as the Dane blasted to a new world-best time, then had to settle with finishing eighth. Then, at the PTO event in Singapore, Laidlow got COVID, which he now sees as a bit of a blessing.

“In hindsight it made me rest and allowed me to perform that much better,” he said at today’s post-race press conference.

When asked if he felt pressure coming into this race, Laidlow said that he didn’t because he was confident he would win the world championship one day, and if it didn’t happen here it would be “part of the journey.” Now he heads into next year’s worlds in Kona as the defending champion. That answer won’t work on the Big Island in 2024.

“Part of me know wants a break,” he said. “Equally, I know what I want to work on. I know I can improve a lot, and obviously I really want to win Kona.”

“I think for the next few years it’ll be Magnus and me up front,” Laidlow continued. “I don’t want to sound big headed, but on the flat I think we’re a step above on the bike. Magnus has really opened my eyes to what the pinnacle of the sport is. His performance in Roth this year was insane and I was grateful to be part of it.”

Great for French sport

Laidlow feels that his win, along with the four French athletes who finished in the top 10 (five if you count American Rudy Von Berg, who grew up here in the French Riviera), is great for the sport in this country and will hopefully “motivate a generation.”

He’s not a bad ambassador, either. While he worries about sounding big headed, he had no issues praising the talents of his competition today. He’s not joking about being blown away by Ditlev’s performance in Roth – afterwards he asked the Dane to sign his shoe.

When asked what were some of the keys to winning today, he immediately talked about the amazing crowd support and “a 12-minute lead on Patrick (Lange).”

He also spoke of how he wanted to ensure the race went out hard both in the swim and early on in the bike. He was happy to see the men push hard to the first turn, and then moved to the front as soon as he felt things were slowing down. Then, when countryman Clement Mignon pushed up the first climb of the bike, he followed the move, even though he worried it might be “burning a match” a bit early.

One hit wonder

When asked if he might be getting an Mdot tattoo after the race, Laidlow said he might go for a slogan he’d seen a lot of on social media as he struggled through the year.

“One hit wonder” might be next on the tattoo front, offering a regular motivational reminder. “I used (those comments) as motivation – there were a few training rides when I was definitely angry.”

Laidlow serves as a great ambassador for the sport because he endlessly emphasizes the joy of what he does.

“What I really like riding my bike for a long time and riding hard,” he said.

Seems like he doesn’t mind pushing hard through the swim and run, too.