Jan Frodeno will not start at the Ironman World Championship on May 7th in St. George in the American state of Utah.
The 2008 Olympic champion in the short distance and three-time Hawaii champion is suffering from an Achilles tendon injury and announced on Instagram on Thursday that he would not be participating in the World Championships.
The race in Utah is the replacement for the 2021 race that was canceled due to Corona. The regular 2022 World Championships are planned for October 8 of this year in Hawaii.
Although Utah is seen by many athletes as a way to win a world title, it is only a second choice to the original on the Pacific island.
In his statement on Thursday, Frodeno explained that he did not want to take any risks, but to concentrate entirely on the race in Kona, Hawaii.
"I want to be on the safe side," he said, "and deliver a great race on Big Island." After Patrick Lange, who also canceled his participation due to an injury, the World Championships in Utah are also losing their biggest attraction with Frodeno.
The triathlon scene now has to wait almost another six months for the eagerly awaited showdown between the 40-year-old Frodeno and the top athletes from Norway who are following up with the Olympic champion from Tokyo, Kristian Blummenfelt.