Lionel Sanders is OUT of IRONMAN 70.3 Worlds in New Zealand as he counts the cost of Kona

Lionel Sanders has ruled out a shot at IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship redemption later this year as he maps out the remainder of 2024 following that IRONMAN World Championship bid in Kona.

‘No Limits’ was disqualified from the event last year in Finland in hugely controversial circumstances – in what was one of the biggest triathlon stories of 2023.

The Canadian, one of the sport’s highest-profile athletes, was shown a red card for what was deemed a centre-line violation deep into the bike course as he looked to reel in the leaders.

But there was no actual centre-line marking on the road at that point and discussions between Sanders and IRONMAN would follow as both parties looked to move the sport forward.

Why no New Zealand for ‘No Limits’?

With three 70.3 victories this year, Sanders could have been a leading contender at the Worlds in Taupō in mid-December but a 32nd-placed finish in the IRONMAN World Championship – where only the top 15 take home prize money – appears to have forced a rethink.

Speaking in his eagerly-awaited Kona debrief video, which is embedded below, he said: “I’m going to do another 70.3, very likely Indian Wells [on December 8] because I’ve spent all my money on the Kona trip and can’t afford to go to New Zealand any more because I didn’t make any return on this trip.

“But definitely excited for Marbella 2025,” he added, which is where next season’s 70.3 World Championships will take place.

Nice in 2025 and Kona in 2026 both targets

And Sanders has also vowed to return to Kona, despite this year’s disappointment.

Analysing what happened he said: “Kona has conquered me and I have no excuses. Something is happening to me at around four to five hours and I am spent.

“In the 70.3, it’s game on. I know how to prepare for a 70.3. Two months from now we’ll do a 70.3, I’ll be in phenomenal shape. There’ll be not a single doubt in my mind and I’ll be able to do the swim, the bike and the run really well.

“I don’t have that in the Ironman, it’s still a work in progress. I’m 22 data points in now and I haven’t conquered it. I’ve had a couple of good ones but if I conquered it, it probably wouldn’t be as fun!

[But] I’m not retiring, I love triathlon and I love training. I’m motivated. The journey continues. I’m actually excited to come back here in two years, I wish it was next year.

“And Nice, I want to do Nice [for the 2025 IRONMAN World Championship]. I know I can’t handle the bike and that’s kind of a motivating piece of it. I intend to go out there and learn the course. Maybe Clement Mignon can help me out learning to descend.”

And if he needed any extra motivation, last weekend’s winner Patrick Lange is 38 – the same age Sanders will be when the men’s IMWC returns to Kona.