Kristian Blummenfelt breaks record on Ironman debut
Olympic and world champion Kristian Blummenfelt caps a fine year with a remarkable debut at Ironman Cozumel...
Is there anything Kristian Blummenfelt can’t do? In a year in which he’s already claimed the Olympic and world titles, the Norwegian has this weekend broken the record for the fastest Ironman ever. And this is in his first-ever long-distance race, at Ironman Cozumel.
Blummenfelt completed the course with a time of 7:21:12, finishing the swim in 39:41, the bike in 4:02:40 and the run in an impressive 2:35:24.
The result is the fastest time ever recorded at a full Ironman event, beating the 7:27:53 registered by Jan Frodeno in his Tri Battle Royale with Lionel Sanders earlier this year. However, there are suggestions that the record time may not be counted due to the swim taking place with a down current.
Ruedi Wild (SWI) came home in second some 15 minutes behind the Norwegian, with Germany’s Paul Schuster following an extra five minutes down.
Blummenfelt’s win crowns a fantastic year in which he won Olympic gold in Tokyo ahead of Britain’s own Alex Yee. He was then due to compete in the Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt, but after receiving a wildcard spot at Kona, he decided to focus on the WTCS finals in Edmonton (which he subsequently won).
Regardless of whether or not the result is officially recognised, Blummenfelt has certainly achieved something incredible here, announcing his arrival on the long-distance stage with a bang.
With compatriot Gustav Iden (who successfully defended his Ironman 70.3 world title this autumn) also enjoying an incredible year, it looks like the Norwegians are going to be mixing it up at the top for years to come.
Top image: Ironman Cozumel
Rob Slade
