This year the superstar duel in the triathlon has to be cancelled. Jan Frodeno is injured and cannot start in Hawaii. The currently dominating Kristian Blummenfelt also regrets that. But the time for the giant summit is pressing, there are not many chances left.
Kristian Blummenfelt, who currently dominates, does not want to commit himself to a giant duel with triathlon superstar Jan Frodeno at the end of his career in Hawaii. The 28-year-old Norwegian will start in the men’s race over 3.86 kilometers swimming, 180.2 kilometers cycling and 42.2 kilometers running on October 8 as the top favorite alongside two-time Ironman World Champion Patrick Lange from Germany. Frodeno had to cancel his participation early due to a hip injury. Next year, the then 42-year-old wants to start in Hawaii for the last time.
“I would definitely like to compete against him. We’ll see if we can somehow manage it before he ends his career at the end of 2023,” said Blummenfelt in an interview with “Welt”. “It’s a damn shame that Jan Frodeno had to cancel injured.” His compatriot Gustav Iden and he would have been looking forward to meeting Frodeno. “And maybe he, too,” said Blummenfelt.
The Bergen powerhouse won Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021, this year he clinched the title at the 2021 Ironman World Championships relocated to St. George, Utah. Blummenfelt is also an ITU World Champion.
“The Olympic Games and Hawaii are the two biggest competitions in triathlon. When you tell someone that you do this sport, Hawaii usually comes first,” he emphasized to “Welt”: “And I still miss this win. I want to there to prove that I can handle the stress of a World Cup and this myth as well as the tough conditions with heat and high humidity.”
After his Hawaii debut, Blummenfelt wants to start at the 70.3 World Championships in St. George, then at the World Championship series on the Olympic distance, which counts as a short distance in contrast to the long distances and consists of 1.5 kilometers swimming, 40 kilometers cycling and 10 km running. His goal: “I want to be Olympic champion again in Paris. After that I’ll concentrate on the long distance again.” Frodeno is still the only triathlete to win Olympic gold (2008) and the World Championships in Hawaii. He won there three times in total.
