Kat Matthews and Harry Palmer bag British double at first Pro Series Ironman 70.3 Swansea

Brits Kat Matthews and Harry Palmer won at Ironman 70.3 Swansea in the UK’s first Ironman Pro Series event. 

Rebecca Anderbury made it a GB one–two ahead of Germany’s Danila Kleiser on the women’s podium. Kieran Lindars took third for GB in the men’s race behind Frenchman Léon Chevalier in third. 

How the women’s race unfolded

After trailing Hannah Munday by more than two minutes out of the swim on a glorious South Wales day, Matthews set the fastest female bike split in 2:26:34 over the rolling hills of the Gower Peninsula. 

This gave her a two-minute advantage going into the Mumbles seafront run. This was enough to hold off Anderbury, who made up a minute on foot, and Kleiser, who ran a rapid 1:14:31 half marathon to claw back six minutes. 

After winning the maximum number of Pro Series points and $7,500, Matthews said: “Thank you so much to every single person who cheered today for me and for everyone else, it was fantastic! 

“It was honestly blissful until about 4k into the run and I thought goodness, the sun’s pretty hot down here on the beach.”

Matthews added that it was a ‘real confidence boost’ to go into Kona leading the Pro Series standings. The win in Swansea was her second of the season and fifth career Ironman 70.3 triumph. 

How the men’s race unfolded

In the men’s professional race, GB’s Sam Dickinson was part of a front group of five in the swim and led the race off the bike chased by a seven-strong pack including Palmer and Chevalier. The Frenchman recorded the fastest male bike split of 2:09:46 to close a 2:40 gap from the swim. 

On the run, Palmer distanced Chevalier before drawing alongside Dickinson for several kilometres. Palmer struck out alone at halfway and stayed in front as Dickinson blew up and Chevalier overtook him. Lindars moved up from fifth to third to grab a podium spot. 

Palmer’s win was his second in a row at Swansea, netting him $7,500 in prize money, and a minute faster than last year.

He said: “It’s pretty surreal, I don’t feel like it’s sunk in yet, I’m just in a lot of pain right now! That was amazing, I feel like the spectators were even better than last year which I didn’t think was possible, so it was pretty epic.

“I had goosebumps. I was running and early on I thought this pace feels really good.

“So it was only really the last 100m I was like, oh you know what, I’m actually winning here! 

“I didn’t allow myself to enjoy it too much as I know the guys behind were chasing hard and they’re amazing athletes, everyone here was incredible, they pushed me to my limit.”