Kristian Blummenfelt delivered a fantastic performance and secured Norway’s first Olympic gold in Tokyo.
TOKYO (Nettavisen): The 27-year-old was part of a trio when there were only two kilometers left, and the Bergen man finally tried a long sprint.
British Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde from New Zealand did well, however, but when Blummenfelt again tried to walk a kilometer again, he got a hatch.
Neither Yee nor Wilde managed to bring in Blummenfelt, who could dive over the finish line and secure Norway’s first gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics.
He is also the first ever to take a Norwegian Olympic gold in triathlon.
– This is a race we have been thinking about for ten years. I received alerts yesterday on Facebook with memories from nine years ago that the goal was Olympic gold. It was stated in an interview with BT, and then it is well done that it comes to light, the 27-year-old told the Norwegian press in the mixed zone.
The Bergen native did not hide his ambitions before the championship.
– We have set the list high for ourselves with the fact that it is Olympic gold that counts, that we are here to win and that anything but a medal would have been disappointing.
– I think it will sink in eventually. This is something I have been thinking about every single session for the last two months, Blummenfelt added after Monday’s gold.
NRK expert Jann Post is one of several who pay tribute to Norway’s first gold winner in Japan.
– Kristian Blummenfelt, for a machine. About 7,000 training hours since the Olympic debut in Rio. He’s almost never home. Constantly gathering around the world. Do whatever he thinks is necessary to be the best. Weekday. It’s so easy to get rid of him this gold. Touching to see, he writes Twitter.
First triathlon gold
The medal is not only the first in this championship, it is also the first Norwegian Olympic gold since 2012. At the same time, it is Norway’s first Olympic gold in triathlon ever.
Gustav Iden (8) and Casper Stornes (11) secured a fantastic Norwegian day after all three had good medal opportunities when the athletes changed from cycling shoes to running shoes.
The three Norwegians sat for a long time just behind the leading field on the bike, but after 30 kilometers of cycling, the field was gathered and Blummenfelt passed first.
Swiss Andrea Salvisberg got a small gap on the rest of the field at the end of the bike, but Stornes passed as number two after a very quick change of shoes.
Blummenfelt quickly settled into second position after bringing in Salvisberg, and the Norwegian eventually sailed up as Norway’s hottest gold candidate in Odaiba Marine Park early Monday morning in Tokyo.
Shook off the competitors with a long sprint
Gustav Iden quickly had to give a hatch to the close group, while Stornes managed to hang on to the tail of the field for the first kilometers.
A close group of nine athletes quickly crystallized, and both Blummenfelt and Stornes joined in when the British Alex Yee really set the pace.
In the end, Stornes had to let go again, but a strong Blummfenfelt seemed nimble in the last kilometers, and took a lead in front when there was a little over three kilometers left.
The Bergen man was also the sharpest in the last meters, and eventually distanced Wilde and Yee.
The gold winner managed to cheer uncontrollably after the finish, before he collapsed after an insane effort.
He eventually had to be helped up by officials after vomiting, before being placed in a wheelchair after 1,500 meters of swimming, 40 kilometers of cycling and 10 kilometers of running.
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