Search
shop

Is Blummenfelt unbeatable? Norwegian star on SUB7 bid

Olympic king is full of confidence heading into SUB7
News Director
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Hardly surprising after the last 11 months, but Kristian Blummenfelt says he feels “maybe a little bit unbeatable” heading into Sunday’s SUB7 showdown with Joe Skipper in Germany.

The Norwegian megastar has claimed Olympic gold, WTCS glory, the IRONMAN World Championship AND the fastest ever time over the Ironman distance – all since July 2021.

In St George last month the 28-year-old from Bergen was still recovering from a respiratory infection when he produced that terrific run to become the sport’s king over the full distance.

‘Big Blu’ full of confidence

He said afterwards: “I was thinking two weeks ago that If I’m able to win here in St George, then nobody has a chance in Hawaii”.

Before Kona in October comes this SUB7 clash with Skipper in Germany on Sunday, and Blummenfelt is high on confidence, despite forecasting a 7:00 finish time – some 13 minutes slower than Skipper’s target of 6:47. He has to be trolling us, right?

Thursday saw Blummenfelt and late stand-in Skipper take centre stage for the final press conference – complete with boxing-style staredown (see above).

‘Big Blu’ was in typically confident mood, admitting: “It’s all good, coming here and seeing the team coming together, gives me confidence – I would say I’m more confident in this than heading into St George, so maybe yes, a little bit, in long distance!”

SUB7 bid is a team game

While Skipper was only announced as the replacement for the injured Alistair Brownlee on Monday, Blummenfelt has preparing for this challenge for a long time. He has an elite team behind him, and the work in the background has been long and intensive.

Blummenfelt prepares for that SUB7 bid at the Dekra Lausitzring (Mana Studios).

He admitted: “It’s a combination of a lot of things, a two-year journey first of all to find a good pacing team, the bike is the crucial part in the race.

“Getting in contact with Matt (Bottrill), who has been building the team, and we’ve had a lot of support from Cadex – we have a special bike for this event. Also all the testing we do, we have had almost a year of long-distance training, we are learning almost week by week.”

Blummenfelt was quick to emphasise the team aspect of this challenge – the pacers involved and the way they all gel as a group will be crucial to the end results. Throw in the scientific research and fine-tuning and it is a monstrous effort by all.

“It’s not just about me and Joe, it is about having really good people around you. Having the science on our side, been working with Olav (Aleksander Bu) for years now, really trying to understand what we can do to prepare for an Ironman distance and how to fine-tune the engine to really be able to be racing for seven hours instead of just finishing the distance. So yeah, it’s been crucial.”

The appliance of science

That appliance of science has been a feature of the rise of Blummenfelt and compatriot Gustav Iden, and Kristian had no doubts about the answer when asked what was the strangest thing Bu had asked him to do.

“We haven’t done it yet but he wants to collect my poo to measure how much of the calories is left after I’ve eaten them, and combined with measuring the pee to see how much I’ve been burning over the night.

“So far we’ve just been measuring the pee over a two-week period.”

Olav Aleksander Bu really does leave no stone unturned (Mana Studios).

Blummenfelt has raised eyebrows by saying he believes a 2:20 marathon is possible on Sunday, and he maintains it remains in scope.

“I think 2:25 is the safe zone, I did 3:45 pace in St George, a very hilly one, I think if I kind of equal that to a flat course it’s closer to 3:30 per k. I think we can even drop that with the help of the bike team, so hopefully we’re looking at 3:25 per k. If I’m feeling fresh and good maybe we can drop it down to 3:20 per k.”

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
Laura Siddall Challenge Roth 2025 finish line
PremiumLaura Siddall: 10 things I’ve learned from my professional triathlon career
Ruth Astle finishing IRONMAN Vitoria 2024
PremiumHow to cope with a DNF: Elite athletes share their stories
PremiumIs your evening workout routine wrecking your recovery? Expert physiologist on how to improve recovery and what NOT to do
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumTriathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
03/07/2025 - Tour de France 2025 - Grand départ Jour 2 - Lille - Présentation des équipes -Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike)
PremiumWhat triathletes can learn from the Tour de France pro peloton
latest News
Sam Laidlow celebrates Challenge Roth win 2025
FOLLOW LIVE: Sam Laidlow in action at IRONMAN Leeds 2025
Paula Findlay wins IRONMAN Boise 2025
IRONMAN 70.3 Boise results 2025: Findlay and Appleton the Idaho stars
Alex Yee wins Super tri Toronto 2025
Supertri Toronto 2025 men’s results: Stunning triathlon return from Olympic champ Alex Yee
Jolien Vermeylen wins Supertri Toronto 2025
Supertri Toronto 2025 women’s results: Jolien Vermeylen stuns big guns for famous DEBUT win
Alex Yee supertri Neom 2024 win Photo credit: Darren Wheeler | supertri
WATCH AGAIN: Supertri Toronto 2025 as Brownlee Racing make a PERFECT start
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

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...