To most people third in the IRONMAN World Championship, second in the 70.3 World Championship and winner of the $200,000 first-place bonus in the IRONMAN Pro Series would signify a superb season.
But Kristian Blummenfelt isn’t most people. The Norwegian is a serial winner, mopping up every triathlon title that matters, including an Olympic gold medal.
He’d said before the 70.3 Worlds in Marbella that the target was “at least get one World Championship title this season” and for all but the last 100 metres on the Costa del Sol he was bang in contention to do just that.
He was in the front group on the bike and then from early on the run it turned into an epic duel with defending champion Jelle Geens as they both ran 1:07 half marathons. Many would have put their money on Blummenfelt if it turned into a sprint but it ended up being his Belgian rival who had the decisive kick in the shadow of the finish arch.
‘He was quick and pretty strong’
Speaking afterwards to Craig Alexander on the live broadcast, his disappointment was obvious.
Talking first about the run battle, he explained: “I wanted to go for one push but I guess I waited a bit too late – he was quite quick and I just didn’t have the leg speed I needed in that final kilometre.
“I felt okay on the run but I just didn’t have what it took to outsprint him. We had that fight for the inside line on the final turn and he was quick and pretty strong.”
All about world titles
Asked about his scorecard for the season, Blummenfelt was his own harshest critic: “Average I would say. It gives me motivation at least for the next year.
“I’m looking forward to starting the season early with [IRONMAN] New Zealand [on 7 March] and Australia [70.3 Geelong on 22 March] and getting the points I need for the IRONMAN Pro Series early on.
“And then just build up to the two World Championships in Nice and Hawaii. I guess it will be a big block of racing early in the season, a big block of training mid-year and then trying to do better in those World Championships.
“That’s what we race for – we want to win world titles. A podium is a podium but I want to take that tape, Failed twice this year but two more chances next year.”
And in terms of the Pro Series standings, here’s how it all finished:
| Place | Name | County | Pro Series Points | Bonus payout USD | Total payout* USD |
| 1st | Kristian Blummenfelt | NOR | 21,200 | $200,000 | $353,500 |
| 2nd | Casper Stornes | NOR | 20,414 | $130,000 | $307,500 |
| 3rd | Kristian Høgenhaug | DEN | 18,530 | $85,000 | $122,000 |
| 4th | Nick Thompson | AUS | 18,415 | $70,000 | $103,750 |
| 5th | Gustav Iden | NOR | 18,145 | $50,000 | $127,250 |
| 6th | Rudy Von Berg | USA | 17,753 | $40,000 | $66,000 |
| 7th | Jonas Schomburg | DEU | 17,173 | $30,000 | $81,250 |
| 8th | Henrik Goesch | FIN | 16,954 | $20,000 | $33,000 |
| 9th | Leon Chevalier | FRA | 16,553 | $15,000 | $28,500 |
| 10th | Jonas Hoffmann | DEU | 16,345 | $10,000 | $18,500 |
