IRONMAN World Champion and Norwegian Olympic hopeful Gustav Iden gave a frank and honest assessment of his emotions after a tough day of racing at WTCS Montreal over the weekend.
The 27 year old, who recently lost his mother, shared how hard just summoning the strength to race had been and why after finishing 32nd in Montreal, things very quickly became overwhelming.
“My most emotional triathlon ever”
Having so far struggled in his return to short course racing, with the Norwegian sitting 77th in the World Triathlon Championship Series standings, Iden was left frustrated in Canada, despite finishing in his highest position of the season so far.
Writing on Instagram, he said: “My most emotional triathlon ever. Sat down after the finish line and cried for a really long time. Didn’t know I was capable of feeling all these things at the same time.
“Happy to make the front pack on the bike. Proud to actually just make it to the start line this time. Frustrated that I’m so far from where I want to be.
“Most of all I just had an all consuming feeling of sadness. I don’t even know how to put it into words at the moment. Hopefully I can learn to handle all the emotions soon. Right now I’m just a bit too tired.”
Iden also took the time to thank his team and sponsors, admitting that without their support, he would have been unlikely to have made the start line last weekend.
“Also, I’m extremely grateful for the support from my friends, family, sponsors, competitors and fans. Would honestly not be bothered to be racing now if it wasn’t for all of you.”
