With the 2022 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii just days away, the final start list with bib numbers has been published, with Kristian Blummenfelt set to defend his title wearing the M1 bib.
Pro Men racing at Kona
A total of 51 athletes are scheduled to take the start line in the Men’s Pro race, with several big names on the sidelines – namely three-time Kona winner Jan Frodeno and Great Britain’s Alistair Brownlee – but there is still a plethora of talent on show.
Blummenfelt, who took victory when the delayed 2021 IRONMAN World Championship took place in St George earlier this year, is looking to double up. He forms a formidable Norwegian duo alongside Gustav Iden (M8) – Iden was a late scratch from the start list in Utah due to illness.
With the absence of Frodeno, there are only two other former Kona winners on show, the German pair of Patrick Lange (M6) and Sebastian Kienle (M7).
Former podium dwellers Lionel Sanders (M2), Braden Currie (M3), Tim O’Donnell (M9), David McNamee (M16) and Ben Hoffman (M19) will be hoping to at least emulate previous performances on the Big Island.
In terms of numbers, Australia (7), USA (6), Germany (5) are the best represented nations in the race.
Start list and bib numbers – Pro Men
| BIB | FIRST | LAST | COUNTRY |
| M1 | Kristian | Blummenfelt | NOR |
| M2 | Lionel | Sanders | CAN |
| M3 | Braden | Currie | NZL |
| M4 | Chris | Leiferman | USA |
| M5 | Florian | Angert | GER |
| M6 | Patrick | Lange | GER |
| M7 | Sebastian | Kienle | GER |
| M8 | Gustav | Iden | NOR |
| M9 | Tim | O’Donnell | USA |
| M10 | Ben | Hoffman | USA |
| M11 | Cameron | Wurf | AUS |
| M12 | Leon | Chevalier | FRA |
| M14 | Daniel | Bækkegård | DEN |
| M15 | Sam | Laidlow | FRA |
| M16 | David | McNamee | GBR |
| M17 | Joe | Skipper | GBR |
| M19 | Rudy | Von Berg | USA |
| M20 | Matt | Hanson | USA |
| M21 | Denis | Chevrot | FRA |
| M22 | Reinaldo | Colucci | BRA |
| M23 | Max | Neumann | AUS |
| M25 | Collin | Chartier | USA |
| M26 | Kyle | Buckingham | RSA |
| M27 | Tim | Van Berkel | AUS |
| M28 | Nick | Kastelein | AUS |
| M29 | Jan | Van Berkel | SUI |
| M30 | Kenneth | Vandendriessche | BEL |
| M31 | Ivan | Tutukin | KAZ |
| M32 | Magnus | Ditlev | DEN |
| M33 | Bradley | Weiss | RSA |
| M34 | Kyle | Smith | NZL |
| M35 | Pieter | Heemeryck | BEL |
| M36 | Kristian | Hogenhaug | DEN |
| M37 | Sam | Appleton | AUS |
| M38 | Clement | Mignon | FRA |
| M39 | Jesper | Svensson | SWE |
| M40 | Andre | Lopes | BRA |
| M41 | Matt | Trautman | RSA |
| M42 | Robert | Wilkowiecki | POL |
| M43 | Robert | Kallin | SWE |
| M44 | Mathias | Peterson | DEN |
| M45 | Michael | Weiss | AUT |
| M47 | Luciano | Taccone | ARG |
| M48 | Arnaud | Guilloux | FRA |
| M49 | Josh | Amberger | AUS |
| M50 | Maurice | Clavel | GER |
| M51 | Igor | Amorelli | BRA |
| M52 | Henrik | Goesch | FIN |
| M53 | Andreas | Dreitz | GER |
| M54 | Matt | Burton | AUS |
| M55 | David | Plese | SVN |
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