Gustav Iden
Gustav Iden
2022 Ironman World Champion
In 2019, at just 23 years old, Gustav Iden became the youngest Ironman 70.3 World Champion ever when he crossed the finish line first in Nice, France. Since then, the Norwegian has continued his upward trajectory, repeating that title again in 2021, when he won in St. George, Utah. In 2022 Gustav switched up his training to focus on the full Ironman distance and once again delivered, winning triathlon's biggest prize, the Ironman World Championship in Kona. Along with Kristian Blummenfelt, a fellow Norwegian and CADEX athlete, Gustav has helped turn Norway into a triathlon superpower. He trains and competes aboard Giant bikes built up with CADEX WheelSystems and other gear.
| Team | Triathletes |
|---|---|
| Born | May 1, 1996 |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Resides | Bergen, Norway |
| Top results | 2022: Ironman World Champion 2021: Ironman 70.3 World Champion; 8th at Tokyo Olympic Games 2020: Challenge Daytona PTO World Champion 2019: Ironman 70.3 World Champion; 5 ITU World Cup wins; 4th at ITU Olympic Test Event in Tokyo 2016: Ironman Haugesund Champion; 2nd at Ironman 70.3 Bahrain |
| Intro to triathlon | At age 13 or 14, I wanted to be a Tour de France champion but after a while I realized cycling alone was too boring for me. The federation in Norway were looking to grow the sport of triathlon and I was invited, alongside other athletes, to a tryout for athletes they thought had potential to be triathletes. Of the three disciplines swimming is the one I have had to really learn how to do over the years. But triathlon gives me the variety I want and I’ve never looked back. |
| Coach | Olav Aleksander Bu |
| Favorite event | Ironman 70.3 Nice (France) and World Series Lausanne (Switzerland) because of the fun and challenging bike courses and unbelievable spectator crowd atmospheres. |
| Favorite CADEX product | Aero WheelSystems |
| What do you carry on a long ride? | I never carry an inner tube and so far in life it hasn’t been a problem. Just my phone and some sugar. |
| Favorite place to train | Mountains of Bergen and the Pyrenees |
| Indoor cycling, or brave the winter conditions? | For my riding I usually go inside during the winter. I don’t do too much Zwift. I just put on a good movie or something on YouTube and then get on with the pedaling. For my running I have no problem facing the cold Norwegian winter. I love living close to the mountains and being able to run there in the snow. |
| Dream vacation spot | A country I haven't been to yet. |
| Films or TV you love | Brooklyn 99 and Total Recall |
| Favorite book | George Orwell's "1984" is unbelievable for its present-day accuracy. But I have to say the Norwegian book "The Animals In Africa" by Erlend Loe because of the absurd humor. |
| Words to live by | My motto is, "Winning is a choice." I try to make every single choice throughout the day a choice that brings me closer to my next big victory. Either a personal or professional win. |