When the world's best triathletes gather in Nice for the Ironman World Championship, it's not just training and tactics that determine the outcome of the race. Equipment also plays a decisive role—especially in swimming, where every advantage counts in seconds and ultimately in rankings.

Our sailfish pros Sam Laidlow, Casper Stornes, Finn Große-Freese, and Mathias Petersen rely on the Rebel Pro Plus 1 Swimskin in high water temperatures, which provides them with perfect support in the water and puts them in a streamlined position.

If the swim is to be in wetsuits, all athletes will rely on the proven Ultimate IPS Plus 4. Finn Große-Freese has already celebrated two IRONMAN victories in 2025 in this wetsuit.

Sam Laidlow: Fine-tuning for the Nice title defender

The 2023 Ironman World Champion and this year's Roth winner is considered one of the top favorites for the title. The Frenchman has received a special update for his Rebel Pro Plus 4 for Nice: Sailfish has delivered a custom-made swimskin to Nice especially for Laidlow for the World Championships. This will allow the local hero to squeeze out those last few percent in the swim. It's exactly the mix that will help him get out of the water in the leading group.

Swimskin or wetsuit? How will the age groupers start in Nice?

This is a crucial question that will probably only be answered at the weekend. With current water temperatures around 24°C, it cannot be ruled out that the age groupers will also compete in swimskins. The IRONMAN World Championship in Nice promises to be an exciting event.