The all-conquering Norwegian squad – Casper Stornes, Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt – return to action at this weekend’s IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, just weeks after delivering a stunning podium sweep at the full-distance Worlds in Nice.
But while the group’s dominance has been the story of the long-course season, there appears to be a noticeable difference in energy as the curtain comes down on 2025 – though another 1-2-3 is still in the offing, in the IRONMAN Pro Series at least.
Blummenfelt: “I want to finish off strong”
For Blummenfelt, the message is clear – there’s unfinished business after Nice, where he had been bang in contention before his two compatriots distanced him in the marathon.
Speaking on the latest Santara Tech podcast, which is embedded below, he said: “Really being able to stay focussed until the very last day of the season is going to be important if you want to perform well in Marbella. Keeping that focus and the energy going until you cross the finish line.
“I’m quite motivated for this race, especially because I feel like I was the one who lost the race in Nice given the position I was in coming into T2.”
The former Olympic and IRONMAN World Champion admits that’s driven him to make Marbella a statement race, adding: “I feel like I want to finish off strong and at least get one World Championship title this season.
“I feel the training has been a little bit better than Gustav’s so I’m looking forward to getting back into another race week.”
It’s a typically determined tone from Blummenfelt, who thrives on closing out seasons with intent – and whose record on rolling, hilly courses is another big point in his favour. Indeed he’s compared Marbella to St George, Utah, where he won his previous 70.3 crown in 2022.
Iden: “It’s always a bit of a mental game”
Teammate and two-time 70.3 World Champion Gustav Iden, by contrast, admits his motivation hasn’t been quite as easy to sustain since Nice: “For me I would say the whole season was about Nice, which was a good race for me.
“And after that I was a bit like do I have to race again? But then I was really motivated but it is slightly hard to keep on being motivated when you get super tired after a good training session. I guess it’s always a little bit of a mental game.”
Iden also remains realistic about his form, adding: “I would say I am motivated to perform but my training has been pretty poor so I’m just hoping for an ok race. Top 10 would be realistically good for me.”
He also offered a quick comparison of how the Norwegian trio have fared since Nice: “I would say Casper has been a little bit in between myself and Kristian when it’s come to training since Nice. Maybe a bit closer to Kristian.”
Another 1-2-3 on the cards
But another Norwegian clean sweep that does look on the cards is in the IRONMAN Pro Series.
It is possible for some change (Denmark’s Kristian Hogenhaug could yet finish third) but unlikely, with the top five in the standings currently as follows:
| Rank | Athlete (Nationality) | Total IRONMAN Pro Series Points (Max Top 5 events) | Total Eligible Races Scored | Eligible IRONMAN Races Scored | Eligible IRONMAN 70.3 Races Scored | Prize money for that position (after 70.3 Worlds) |
| 1 | Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) | 20,015 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $200,000 |
| 2 | Casper Stornes (NOR) | 19,067 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $130,000 |
| 3 | Gustav Iden (NOR) | 18,101 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $85,000 |
| 4 | Leon Chevalier (FRA) | 16,553 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $70,000 |
| 5 | Jonas Hoffmann (DEU) | 16,345 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $50,000 |
And Blummenfelt referred to that on the podcast when he said: “We joked about it and said the only reason I am racing is because Casper is racing and he’s the one who can take the IRONMAN Pro Series away from me!
“And the only reason Casper is racing is because Gustav is racing and he’s the only one who can take his second place!”
“But jokes aside I feel like it’s quite an open race. There are a few guys who will be seeing this as the last shot [for a decent year]. Magnus [Ditlev] could be one of those. Rico Bogen and Jelle Geens are guys I haven’t raced that much so it will be interesting to see what their level is too.”
It’s also clear that the Pro Series will again be a focus for the Norwegians in 2026, with IRONMAN New Zealand and then IRONMAN Texas already pencilled in for the first part of that year, with Kristian adding: “To just tick off two IRONMANs early in the season and then have plenty of time until Kona and really target that one.”
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