MIDDLE-DISTANCE PRO IMOGEN SIMMONDS HAS BEEN STEADILY CLIMBING UP THE RANKS, WITH 2023 PROVING TO BE HER BEST SEASON YET. THE BUGGERANCE? SHE RACES FOR SWITZERLAND AFTER TEAM GB SAID, ‘NO THANKS’. OUR LOSS BUT TRI’S ULTIMATE GAIN. LET’S MEET THE SWISS STAR…
INTERVIEW TIM HEMING IMAGES GETTY IMAGES
Q&A IMOGEN SIMMONDS
Having twice been on the podium in the Ironman 70.3 World Champs and in resurgent form following the best year of her career, Imogen ‘Imo’ Simmonds’ star is flying high right now.
Raised in Hong Kong and Switzerland before studying environmental technology at Imperial College London, had fate played a different hand, the 31-year-old would also now be part of the British contingent challenging for honours. Instead, having been turned down by the federation for a GB pro licence in 2016, she races under the Swiss flag and despite more than her fair share of injury has justified her position as one of the most talented middle-distance triathletes in the world.
Ranked in the PTO top 10 at the end of 2023, she has picked up a lucrative contract for the new eight-event T100 series over 100km that will take the spotlight in 2024. We caught up with her ahead of what promises to be an exciting year…
220: What’s your sporting background?
IS: I have memories of mum making us do aquathlons when we were kids in Hong Kong to keep us entertained. I played a lot of lacrosse, and a bit of hockey and netball, but only got into triathlon at university. I’d swam to national level for Switzerland until I was 12, but had never ridden a bike, and it showed at the BUCS duathlon! But I was hooked from then on.
220: Your jump from amateur to pro seemed to happen quickly?
IS: I did my first tri in 2014 and turned pro in 2017. After I graduated, I identified a group in Phuket [Thailand], led by [former German pro] Jurgen Zack. There were often only three women pros in South East Asia races where it paid five-deep and organisers often covered accommodation and transfers, so financially it made more sense to race pro.
220: How did you come to race for Switzerland?
IS: GB wouldn’t have me. I was second overall age-grouper in Mooloolaba in 2016, but my time was over the set percentage they use based on the pro women’s winner. We started 2hrs after them, they had a flat ocean, and we had a swell, but the federation were not willing to compromise, even though I was only about 10 second
