Antonio Benito Lopez delivered a superb performance at the Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt to claim third place and secure his qualification for the Ironman World Championship in Kona later this season. Antonio exited the water in the lead group, rode attentively near the front on the bike and produced a brilliant run, to charge onto the podium, crossing the finish line in of 4:54:47. Reigning world champion Casper Stornes (NOR; 4:50:23) broke the tape ahead of compatriot Gustav Iden who finished second (NOR; 4:42:54).

With extreme heat forecast in Frankfurt, the race organisation made the decision to shorten the course, reducing the bike from 180 km to 125 km and the run from a full marathon to a half marathon. But while the race format changed, Antonio’s objective did not: he came to Frankfurt with one clear mission — to secure his Kona slot.

The high temperatures meant a non-wetsuit swim, but that did little to unsettle the Bianchi Pro Triathlete, exiting the water in the middle of a large lead pack.

Once on the bike, he wasted no time in moving up. Determined not to be caught out by any early moves, Antonio quickly positioned himself inside the top five, staying alert to the dynamics around him. On the second lap, he settled into his own pace, carefully managing his energy and numbers. Eventually, Benito Lopez racked his bike in 5th place, taking off for the run with a deficit of 2 minutes over the top 3 in front.

For the first half of the run, the gap to the podium remained stubbornly around the two-minute mark, even as Antonio steadily closed in on fourth place.

Then the race began to turn.

After making his move into fourth, Antonio lifted the pace again and set his sights on the final podium spot. With seven kilometres to go, he had reduced the deficit to less than a minute. The momentum was now firmly with the Spaniard. In the final three kilometres, he produced one last decisive push, overtook for third place, and pushed all the way to the finish.

After a very strong overall performance, he crossed the finish line in third in a time of 4:54:47. A performance that not only marked a major result and a place on the European Championship podium, but also his desired Kona qualification.

Managing the pace

After the race, Antonio made clear that the key to the day had been managing his effort in the extreme heat.

“It was a really tough race. We expected it to be really hot and it was indeed. I tried to keep my core temperature as cold as possible and control my pace. The goal of the race today was to secure a Kona slot, but finishing in third place at the European Championships with the ‘Norwegian train’ is amazing. After the hard marathon I had at Ironman Texas earlier this season, I knew I had to control my pace. I am so happy I managed to do that and come away with a third-place finish and Kona qualification.”

Antonio’s teammate Finn Große-Freese also lined up in Frankfurt. It was not the day he had hoped for, but he still kept going and crossed the finish line in 43rd place.