This was supposed to be the start of the comeback era for triathlon great Kristian Blummenfelt at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside 2025, but it is not turning out that way so far.
The former Olympic, IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion endured a miserable 2024 season as his bid to drop back down to short-course racing brought only a 12th place at Paris 2024 and a 35th in Kona after repeated vomiting on the bike.
It was a tortuous 12 months for ‘Big Blu’ and it ended with him deciding to shelve a bid to move into pro cycling to stick with triathlon – potentially right through to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Bike disaster for Blummenfelt
The superstar from Bergen announced his plans for 2025 with a focus on the IRONMAN Pro Series – starting against a stellar field in Oceanside on Saturday. And early on it looked like he was well and truly back.
After coming out of the water just under a minute behind leader Greg Harper, Blu blasted his way to the front of the field early on the bike, before disaster struck in the shape of a flat front tyre.
There was no quick fix either for the 31-year-old great, who was left standing disconsolately on the road as he awaited mechanical support to allow him to get back racing.
Blummenfelt’s nightmare obviously took him not only out of the lead but out of contention anywhere near the front of the race. At the next checkpoint (25.9 miles) he was now down in 55th position and more than 14 minutes behind the leaders.
Kristian would continue to complete the race, and he produced an incredible finishing 1:07:19 half-marathon to end his day in 15th place.
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