Berlin (AFP)
3.8 kilometers of swimming, 180 kilometers by bike and 42.195 kilometers of racing, all ... from home: the German triathlete Jan Frodeno will perform on Saturday from his home in Girona in Spain, confinement requires, an incredible Ironman.
Its performance, filmed by webcam, can be followed from 06:00 GMT on different social networks and will raise funds to help associations fighting against the Covid-19.
"People should know by now that I'm a little crazy. But it's not only supposed to be a fun event, it was also born out of my helplessness," said the 38-year-old German, 2019 winner of the famous Ironman. from Hawaii, at SID, AFP's sports subsidiary.
"I sit at home, and it's the best thing I can do to relieve medical staff in Spain. I want to show that you can do a lot of things at home if you're a little creative" , he added.
He will begin his feat with swimming, hoping to swim the nearly 4km in his swimming pool at nine degrees equipped with a counter current in about 45 minutes.
After having previously prepared peanut butter sandwiches, he will "swallow them" on his exercise bike. During his race, other runners will be able to join and support him virtually via the Zwift platform.
The 2008 Beijing triathlon Olympic champion will finally complete the distance of the marathon on a treadmill.
During its performance, spectators will be able to buy sports-related products, the proceeds of which will be redistributed to charities fighting the new coronavirus.
The athlete wants to distribute these revenues between Germany and Spain, a country hard hit by the epidemic which has already officially killed more than 15,230 people there.
© 2020 AFP