– I think my plan was solid for being a beginner, because apparently you can’t win here the first time you participate, says Iden with a broad grin on his face after the biggest triumph of his career. The 25-year-old ran for a long time together with reigning world champion and Olympic champion Kristian Blummenfelt on the last part of the WC distance: 42,195 meters of bone-hard running under a scorching Hawaiian sun. Barely six minutes ahead of them was surprise man Sam Laidlow, who had gained a head start on the bike stage. He stood no chance against Iden, who gave him the paw and thanked him for a tough fight when there were about eight kilometers of the race left. JOB TO DO: Gustav Iden was 6.15 behind Sam Laidlow after the swimming and cycling were done. Photo: Marco Garcia / AP The world champion: – Terribly hard Because it was not as easy as it looked: – It was so terribly hard. In the last 10 kilometers I was worried that the “legend of the island” would break me, says Iden in an interview after the race broadcast on YouTube after the race. The Ironman race in Hawaii is known to be among the toughest in the world, largely due to the fact that the athletes have to deal with scorching conditions in addition to the 3.9 km swim, 180 km cycle and 42 km run. Conditions that make it possible for runners to go with a bang. – Everything went very well until I passed Sam Laidlow. Then the island really tried to give me a beating, but I think my cap is stronger than the legend, jokes Iden, who has been wearing a Hawaiian cap since winning the WC in the half distance in 2019. But along the way, Iden’s behavior prompted German triathlon legend Jan Frodeno Stupid. The Norwegians are known for using technology to measure what can be measured, and Iden looked at the clock so often that Frodeno had to grin. He did not understand whether it was pulse, frequency, blood sugar or something else that was being checked. – He has checked his watch every ten steps. I have no idea what he’s checking, but he looks around and looks silky smooth, smiled Frodeno in the studio. THE EXPERT CONFUSED: Gustav Iden probably looked down at his watch several hundred times during the marathon part of the triathlon. Photo: Fredrik Tombra / news Once at the finish line, Iden received a good hug from coach Olav Aleksander Bu, the man who is considered the mastermind behind the Norwegian triathlon success. He reveals that there are four things the watch is used for during the triathlon: Pace, core temperature, heart rate and watts. – It was so epic. The Bergen native decided the WC race with an impressive 2.36 in the marathon, and set a new track record with 7.40.24 hours. Laidlow was almost two minutes behind. – It was so, so epic. I am so proud of both Sam and Kristian who got on the podium. Although Kristian should have finished second, says Iden. Blummenfelt took the bronze medal 2.59 minutes behind his friend. Before the race, the former said that he had crushed Iden in training for the past couple of weeks, prompting Iden to reply that he had probably been smarter. – It was a brutal race, says Blummenfelt, who admits that he is still completely crushed 40 minutes after the finish line.
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Gustav Iden won the World Cup in superb style – expert stumped on clock use – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
