Search
shop

Triathlon superstars Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden to miss IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in New Zealand

Norwegian duo's coach Olav Aleksander Bu reveals why they are both swerving Taupo and instead taking a season break.
News Director
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Neither Kristian Blummenfelt nor Gustav Iden, both former winners of the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, will take part in this year’s race.

Iden triumphed in 2019 and 2021, with Blummenfelt succeeding him in 2022 but the brilliant Norwegian duo have decided to end their seasons early following the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona.

Both endured a difficult time in Hawaii, ‘Big Blu’ battling to the finish in 35th after multiple vomiting episodes on the bike while Iden was a DNF midway through the run, saying:  “I really tried my best just to finish, but I had to sit down on the Queen K and never managed to get back up again.”

They each described the race as “brutal” and their results were in stark contrast to their previous heroics in long-distance triathlon’s biggest event – Blummenfelt won the rescheduled 2021 version in St George while Iden set a course record in Kona in late 2022.

They did have the chance to end 2024 on a high at the 70.3 Worlds in Taupo, but have elected not to make the trip to New Zealand and will instead enjoy some downtime before building up to the 2025 campaign.

Advertisement

Reasoning behind the decision

In a wide-ranging interview with TRI247, their ground-breaking coach Olav Aleksander Bu explained: “It was an interesting conversation because I asked does it make sense to even leave Kona – or at least the United States – and fly back to Europe and then travel to New Zealand in that time frame? [Kona took place on 26 October and the 70.3 Worlds are on 14 December].

“It’s 11 hours time difference between Kona and Norway and 12 hours between Norway and New Zealand,” added Bu.

“So basically it is almost the two craziest locations you can race in for a Norwegian and if you really wanted to be 100% ready for the 70.3 Worlds and invest in that then it would make sense to go there after Kona.

“I would say that by going back to Norway, you’d lose too much consistency in the training if you then flew to New Zealand.

“So beforehand they both said no, we’re not going to do New Zealand after Kona – it’s going to be a season break.”

Gustav Iden Kristian Blummenfelt Challenge Samarkand 2024
Iden and Blummenfelt won’t race again now until 2025 [Photo credit: Challenge Family]

‘Hopefully they are able to relax’

Blummenfelt especially has had an incredible schedule over the last two seasons as he tried to juggle defending his Olympic title in Paris with middle and long-distance ambitions.

Just this summer there were only two weeks between him racing in the Mixed Team Relay at the Olympics and then notching an incredible victory at IRONMAN Frankfurt, where he clocked a 2:32 marathon.

Blummenfelt has enjoyed a break in New York since Kona and when asked about how the downtime has been going for the pair, Bu told us: “We’ll just have to see how long they are able to take off before they have too much energy and want to get out on the road again.

“They’re already starting to put into the conversation things like mountain biking and running a little bit but hopefully they are able to relax!”

They won’t be the only big names missing from Taupo, especially on the men’s side, with a host of other athletes deciding both the long haul nature of the trip and the fact it comes so late in the year means it’s not for them.

Look out in the coming weeks for lots of insights from our in-depth interview with Olav, who has guided the pair to every triathlon title that matters – from Olympic gold to IRONMAN World Championships.

We’ll delve into 2024 reflections and 2025 targets, plus the inside story on his own move into pro cycling and how age groupers can make the most of some of the key tech and training that’s come out of ‘The Norwegian Method’.

Jonathan Turner
Written by
Jonathan Turner
Jonathan Turner is News Director for both TRI247 and RUN247, and is accustomed to big-name interviews, breaking news stories and providing unrivalled coverage for endurance sports.  
Discover more
TRI247 podcast p/b Challenge Family episode 2
Go behind the scenes at Challenge Roth with the latest episode of the TRI247 podcast
Cadomotus Chronos triathlon cycling shoes
The triathlon cycling shoe that promises a 10-watt saving: Cadomotus Chronos Aero triathlon cycling shoes review
Challenge Family Roth
Five things you need to know about the Challenge Roth bike course
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
latest News
Georgia Taylor Brown wins supertri Toulouse 2024
British Olympic legend Georgia Taylor-Brown to make triathlon return
Gwen Jorgensen reflective World Triathlon Cup Vina del Mer 2023
‘Unbreakable’ Gwen Jorgensen ‘bruised’ after bike crash but vows to bounce back
IRONMAN CEO Scott DeRue Women For Tri 2024
IRONMAN announce new age-group qualification system for Kona and 70.3 Worlds
IRONMAN World Championship 2019 / Kona 2019
IRONMAN’s new age-group system for Kona – all the big questions answered
Frederic Funk finish line Challenge Samarkand 2023 photo credit Challenge Family
Challenge Roth 2025: German star goes into the unknown in iconic triathlon showdown
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...