IRONMAN World Championship Nice head to head: Kat Matthews vs Laura Philipp

The countdown clock is ticking as we get ready to see the action unfold at the 2024 women’s IRONMAN World Championship in Nice. Sunday (September 22) will see over 50 of the world’s best women in long-course triathlon line up for a day of reckoning, as they sprint into the glittering waters off the Cote d’Azur.

And while all eyes will be on Lucy Charles-Barclay and Anne Haug, there are two other notable names making up the ‘Big Four’ front runners to take the IRONMAN World Champion title: Kat Matthews and Laura Philipp. So how could things play out if these two lightning-fast women find themselves locked in a head-to-head battle for the win this Sunday? In the second part of our head-to-head series, TRI247’s Jenny Lucas-Hill looks at how they stack up.

Kat Matthews vs Laura Philipp – Who would win in a head to head battle in Nice?

Kat Matthews and Laura Philipp are no strangers to an IRONMAN World Championship podium. The former coming in 2nd behind Daniela Ryf at the 2021 IMWC St George. The latter taking the final podium spot behind Lucy Charles-Barclay and Anne Haug in Kona in 2023. And that makes these two women two of the strongest contenders in the field this year to flip the script on that Lucy vs Anne battle to take the top spot.

[Photos: Getty Images for IRONMAN]

Both Kat and Laura come into Nice with a glittering 2024 resume of podiums. So who could have the edge should it come down to a head-to-head battle this Sunday?

Kat Matthews 2024 performances and form

2024 has been a year packed full of podium finishes for Kat Matthews. In fact, other than that DNF at the start of the season at Miami T100 (she pulled out on the run due to a calf injury). Matthews has finished on the podium at every single race she’s started this year. Given that all of those races have either been part of the IRONMAN PRO Series or the T100 series, that’s no mean feat. Putting her 5th in the IRONMAN PRO Series standings, and #4 in the PTO World Rankings.

Any question mark over how that Miami calf issue might have impacted the rest of Kat’s season was soon erased, as the Brit took IRONMAN Texas by storm in April. Finishing top of the podium, she also posted a 3:00:15 marathon split.

After a 2nd place finish at San Francisco T100, behind Taylor Knibb in 1st and with over 3 minutes on Laura Philipp in 3rd, July was an impressive month, with Kat taking the win at IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz and 3rd place at London T100. And her most recent hit out at IRONMAN 70.3 Tallinn shows the form is still very much there, finishing in 2nd place behind Caroline Pohle.

info-circle Kat matthews 2024 RACE RESULTS TO DATE

MIAMI T100 – DNF
IRONMAN TEXAS – 1st place
SAN FRANCISCO T100 – 2nd place
IRONMAN VITORIA-GASTEIZ – 1st place
LONDON T100 – 3rd place
IRONMAN 70.3 TALLINN – 2nd place

Kat’s 2024 race results show she’s got the firepower to be one of the strongest contenders on the start line in Nice. And given that she’s also one of the most tenacious athletes in the sport, the challenging course is only going to play to her strengths. If there’s anyone who can take each challenge as it comes and keep a strong head throughout, it’s Kat. It would be easy to assume the podium is going to be topped by some configuration of Lucy Charles-Barclay and Anne Haug. But underestimating Kat Matthews as a serious contender for the top spot would be foolish.

Laura Philipp 2024 performances and form

You have to go all the way back to 2017 to find a race result lower than 6th place for Laura Philipp. She’s an athlete who finishes on the podium more often than not. In fact, 4 out of her 6 races this year have seen her up on the podium – narrowly missing out in 4th place for the other two. She’s one of the most consistent athletes out there, and she’ll surely be quietly determined to improve on her 3rd place at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona last year.

After a 4th place finish at IRONMAN 70.3 Valencia in April, Philipp was soon back on the podium picking up 2nd behind Emma Pallant-Browne at IRONMAN 70.3 Mallorca (an IRONMAN PRO Series race) and taking the win at 70.3 Kraichgau 2 weeks later. 3rd place at San Francisco T100 proved that Laura is made of tougher stuff.

info-circle Laura Philipp 2024 RACE RESULTS TO DATE

IRONMAN 70.3 VALENCIA – 4th place
IRONMAN 70.3 MALLORCA – 2nd place
IRONMAN 70.3 KRAICHGAU – 1st place
SAN FRANCISCO T100 – 3rd place
CHALLENGE ROTH – 2nd place
LONDON T100 – 4th place

But perhaps her most impressive performance so far this year is that 2nd place finish at Challenge Roth. On a record-breaking day which saw Anne Haug demolish Daniela Ryf’s previous record time, Philipp also finished in what is the 3rd fastest Ironman time in history.

We know that Laura has the bike skills to tackle the tough course at Nice. And we’re well accustomed to seeing her storm through the field on the run – just as she did in Kona last year. The question is whether that W-shaped swim course in Nice could put her at a disadvantage. The additional turn buoys could give more opportunity for the faster swimmers to get away.

Verdict

Both Kat Matthews and Laura Philipp arrive at the start line in Nice with a strong season of race results behind them. It would be surprising not to see these athletes mixing it up at the front of the race.

[Photo credit: Kyle Rivas / Getty Images for IRONMAN]

I can see Kat powering her way into contention on the bike. But that’s not to say she needs to be leading into T2 to take the win. There are still those who tend to underplay Kat’s run skills, but she is one of the strongest runners out there. That 2:49 marathon at Texas in 2023 says it all. And don’t forget that ‘you shall not pass’ moment with Emma Pallant-Browne at 70.3 Worlds in Lahti last year. Kat’s 1:16:37 run split there was the second fastest in the field, only behind uber-runner Tamara Jewett. Matthews could be one to watch on the run course.

KAT MATTHEWS VS LAURA PHILIPP IN NUMBERS

PTO World Ranking: #4
Best previous IMWC finish: 2nd place
TRI247 RATINGS
Swim: 6/10
Bike: 7/10
Run: 9/10

PTO World Ranking: #5
Best previous IMWC finish: 3rd
TRI247 RATINGS
Swim: 5/10
Bike: 7/10
Run: 8/10

If we were talking about Kona, I’d be inclined to favour Laura Philipp should it come down to a head-to-head battle. But this is Nice, and I have to wonder if Philipp will be able to stay close enough to the front during the swim, or if she’ll be left with too much of a deficit on the bike. I can see the challenging course at Nice being something that kicks Kat Matthews into overdrive – a challenge she’ll relish. And it’s for that reason that I’m going to have to go with Kat as my top pick. Both athletes have all the potential to take the win from the likes of Haug and Charles-Barclay though. And that’s what’s going to make the racing on Sunday so exciting. Different course, different race dynamics. Pass the popcorn!