Three weeks after his third place at the Ironman Hawaii, the Norwegian triathlete Kristian Blummenfelt won the Ironman 70.3 world championship in St. George in the American state of Utah.
He won the title over the half Ironman distance (1.9 km swimming, 90 km cycling, 21 km running) in a time of 3:37:12 hours ahead of the American Ben Kanute (3:38:01) and the Danes Magnus Ditlev (3:39:52).
Last year's winner and Hawaii champion Gustav Iden, Blummenfelt's Norwegian training partner, ended the race prematurely on the running track.
Brilliant fourth (3:40:51) was the only 22-year-old Mika Noodt from Darmstadt with the second best time after Blummenfelt.
Nuremberg's Frederic Funk, 25 years old, completed a strong German result in fifth place (3:42:34).
With his victory, Blummenfelt has once again increased his impressive collection of titles.
Since July last year he has been Olympic champion and world champion over the short distance, Ironman world champion 2021 at the catch-up date in May in St. George, and now also world champion over the middle distance.
Only the most important piece in the puzzle of a perfect triathlete is missing, victory in Hawaii.
He was asked in St. George whether the 70.3 title was something like revenge for Hawaii.
His answer: "There can only be revenge for Hawaii in Hawaii." A statement that nourishes the hope in the scene that Blummenfelt will be back in Hawaii next year despite the preparation for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.