The legendary Ironman in Hawaii will not take place this year due to the corona pandemic and will now take place in February 2022 for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic.
The organizers announced this on Thursday (local time).
The world championship in triathlon over 3.86 kilometers of swimming, 180.2 kilometers of cycling and 42.2 kilometers of running was originally scheduled for October 9th.
The new date is now February 5, 2022. The organizers expect two editions in the coming year.
There should also be a competition in October at the usual time.
"There is no feasible way"
For the athletes around the German stars Jan Frodeno and Anne Haug, the time of uncertainty continues.
After the outbreak of the pandemic, the most important triathlon in the world was only postponed from October 2020 to February 2021 and then canceled entirely.
Now the edition cannot take place this year either.
If it actually came to the two editions now targeted in 2022, there would be two world champions in one year for the first time since 1982.
“The virus resurgence and the new Delta variant are having a significant impact on the islanders of Hawaii.
Combined with the substantial border closings and travel restrictions for qualified athletes, there is no feasible way to host the Ironman World Championship in October, ”explained Managing Director Andrew Messick.
Since Sebastian Kienle's victory in 2014, there have only been German winners in Hawaii. In 2015, 2016 and 2019 Jan Frodeno won, in between Patrick Lange took first place twice. The Ironman took place for the first time in 1978.