A YEAR TO FORGET

RUTH ASTLE ENDURED A SEASON OF INJURIES IN 2023. IT'S TESTED HER MENTAL RESOLVE BUT, SHE TELLS US, IT WILL ADD FUEL TO THE FIRE NEXT SEASON”...

- ROB SLADE

Great Britain's Ruth Astle was on a roll. A string of age-group titles, including two world crowns, saw the nowG 34-year-old turn professional in 2020. A year later she won Ironman Mallorca followed by South Africa. The second-fastest bike split helped her to fifth overall at the 2022 Ironman World Champs in Utah followed by victory at Ironman Israel. But a 2023 bedeviled by calf issues has decimated her season. She dug deep to finish 12th in Kona but DNF'ed at her season finale in Cozumel after her calves flared up again. "It's been a learning year," Astle says...

220: Tell us about the injuries that have derailed your season.

Ruth Astle: I'm still trying to get to the bottom of it. I've scans booked and experts to speak to, so hopefully there'll be something more concrete soon. I've learnt some interesting stuff around hypermobility but, as of now, there's no golden bullet. Still, I'm swimming and cycling.

220: So, all in all, a season to forget?

RA: It's been disappointing. I came in with high hopes from last year and had enjoyed a good winter. But stuff began to go wrong from March, and it's mentally been tough to deal with. You overcome an injury and then something else pops up. That second calf issue was particularly devastating as I was down to race the US and Asian Opens in the build-up to Kona. Still, there's been good learnings to take away, especially around the physiology of the run, which in the long term will hopefully pay dividends. Also, I loved having India [Lee] at the pre-Kona training camp. That was great fun. I'm sure the frustrations of this year will add extra fuel to the fire next season.

220: That must be particularly tough for an athlete looking to make a living out of the sport.