It’s not about any race. It’s about the legendary World Cup in Hawaii. The origin of the Ironman, which has long since become a coveted brand. And there comes another problem: a struggle for supremacy. The athletes are right in the middle of it.
The only one worth mentioning so far Triathlon Jan Frodeno completed over 3.86 kilometers of swimming, 180.2 kilometers of cycling and 42.2 kilometers of running this year at home.
It is uncertain when the three-time Ironman world champion can be back on the starting line of a real race. He also has to be the defending champion for the World Cup Hawaii qualify by finishing first.
Competitions are still not in sight, a move of the cult race on Big Island into the next year seems to be getting closer and closer. Those responsible confirmed to the German Press Agency that a decision should be made by mid-May – in other words, shortly.
Frodeno has a clear opinion on two Ironman World Championships in one year. “At some point it makes it a bit silly to have a February world champion and an October world champion,” said the 38-year-old top star of the dpa scene.
The year 2021 would be pretty busy with seasonal highlights, Frodeno explained with a view to the postponed European Football Championshipwho moved Olympic Games and the competitions that are scheduled to take place next year, as well as the Ironman World Cup in October. “I think it would not be a recommendable sporting challenge.” With all understanding of wanting to hold a competition in times of the corona crisis, Frodeno also says very clearly: “I think that a World Cup should simply be suspended if it cannot take place in October.”
The corona crisis hits the triathlon sport over the long distances in a piquant phase. Recently the brand Ironman sold by the Chinese Wanda Group to a US investment company. Ironman had previously refused to be taken over by the Professional Triathletes Organization (PTO), and no talks had even taken place. The PTO is also supported by a US investment company, but the organization includes around 100 top professional triathletes, who now seem to be in the midst of a power struggle for an industry that is booming worldwide.
The PTO recently announced a new world championship over the middle distance (1.9 km swimming / 90 km cycling / 21.1 km running) together with the Ironman competition Challenge. It is scheduled to start in Daytona on the first weekend in December, endowed with one million US dollars. The Ironman 70.3 World Cup in Taupo, New Zealand, is scheduled to rise exactly one week beforehand.
According to the triathlon magazine, the athletes in the PTO are contractually obliged to participate in Daytona. A start in both races? Difficult to imagine, it would be complete physical depletion: Between Daytona and Taupo there are about 13,000 flight kilometers and 14 hours time difference.
The Hawaii sanctuary remains untouched. It falls under the sovereignty of the Ironman brand, it was held for the first time in 1978. Back then at the beginning of the year, as well as until 1982. By moving from Oahu to the Big Island, the Ironman world champions were chosen both in February and October. In 2021 it could be the same again.
But that would pose great challenges for the athletes. “Preparing for a heat race in the cold European winter is almost impossible,” said two-time Ironman World Champion Patrick Lange (33) of the dpa: “In this respect, the question for all participants will be how to best adapt the body to the tropical climates To prepare conditions in Hawaii, which requires rethinking and reorganizing the training plan for the first Hawaii race in 2021. ” In addition, the planning for Hawaii 2021, Part 2 would have to be adjusted accordingly.
However, a World Cup race later this year also harbors uncertainties. Defending champion Anne Haug sees the unequal opportunities due to the different measures taken in the fight against this worldwide Coronavirus and thus also differently sized or small restrictions of the training for a “big problem. Alone within Germany there is already no equal opportunities when it comes to access to a swimming pool or weight room,” said the 37-year-old dpa. And even Frodeno’s “Tri @ home”, with which the exceptional triathlete raised money to fight the virus, should have been less profitable from a preparatory perspective. (dpa)
Homepage of the Ironman 70.3 World Cup
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