Daniela
Ryf
Switzerland
·
Triathlon
Date of birth | 29 May 1987 |
|---|---|
Place of birth | Solothurn |
Age | 39 |
Nationality | Switzerland |
Career start | 2007 |
Disciplines | Triathlon Ironman |
Switzerland’s Daniela Ryf spends much of her time on the Gold Coast in Australia, where she covers six or seven kilometres in every swimming workout, bikes three to four hours, runs 110km per week and is often in bed at 8pm. “The lifestyle is pretty cool,” she says.
When she first decided to become a full-time triathlete in 2007, Ryf was competing at standard distance. But a change of coach and then a change of discipline to Ironman in 2014 saw her win four IRONMAN World Championship titles in Hawaii in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. She also won Ironman 70.3 titles everywhere from Switzerland and Austria in 2019 to Utah in 2021. A return to top form in 2022 saw her grab a sensational fifth title in St George, Utah, USA, which moved her up to third on the all-time women's win list.
Despite the numerous titles and posting some of the fastest times in the history of the sport, Daniela is convinced she has not yet completed her perfect race. When she does, the world record may just be in her sights.