The Ironman World Championships for men will not take place in the tropical setting of Hawaii this year, but on the Azure Coast in Nice. Participant Pieter Heemeryck lists the advantages and disadvantages.
A landslide in the sport of triathlon. Today the men’s world championship is no longer organized in Hawaii, but in Nice.
“I was also surprised when I heard the news,” said triathlete Pieter Heemeryck. “But when I let it all sink in, I also saw some benefits emerge.”
The athletes no longer swim in the ocean.
The Ironman in Hawaii, for example, had become a victim of its own success. It was becoming more and more of a problem every year.
“The island was packed,” Heemeryck explains. “Almost 6,000 athletes took part in just two days. You could no longer train in peace anywhere, and both food and accommodation had become very expensive.”
Nice does not yet have the same grandeur as Hawaii, but Heemeryck sees a big plus in the new location.
“Okay, it would be more fun if it took place on the mythical island, but now more family members can come and watch. A flight to Nice or a flight to Hawaii is an immense difference.”
(Too) heavyweight
The competition itself will also be completely different from previous editions. For example, there will be swimming in the Mediterranean Sea instead of the Great Ocean and there will be many more elevation meters on the bike course.
“You hear it everywhere: no one can predict what will happen this time,” Pieter Heemeryck also knows. “It could be a very special World Cup”
Now take the two top favorites: Magnus Ditlev and Jan Frodeno, two bears of almost 2 meters.
“They have to carry a lot more weight on the mountainous course, of course. It’s a matter of seeing how they perform on this new course. It will be a cat-and-mouse game with the lightweights.”
It will be a cat and mouse game with the lightweights.
Pieter Heemeryck
Nice itself is not immediately a main goal for Heemeryck. “I am happy that I qualified immediately in Hamburg, but I am still aiming for next season. Then Hawaii will be indicated in bold again.”
“I am fortunate that I am quite good uphill. That must be an advantage here. I am already aiming for a spot in the top 10, but if I reach the level of recent weeks, I hope for more.”
I aim for a place in the top 10, but if I reach the level of the past few weeks, I hope for more.
Pieter Heemeryck
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2023-09-10 07:36:39
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