Two-and-a-half years ago Kristian made a decision. He had just finished a historic year in triathlon competition, winning every race and accomplishing every goal he had set out to, toppling world records along the way. That incredible streak included the 2021 Ironman World Championship, the 2021 World Triathlon Series overall title, and the 2022 Ironman 70.3 World Championship. Not to mention a grand ambition Kristian had spent months preparing for, the Pho3nix Sub-7 event in Germany where he became the first person to finish an Ironman-distance triathlon in under 7 hours.
Throughout that incredible run, Kristian was working closely with CADEX, helping to develop the new CADEX Tri bike and CADEX Aero WheelSystems that would give him an edge.
So, having won everything there is to win in Ironman-distance triathlons, Kristian changed things up and set his sights on the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he would try to repeat his gold medal performance from the 2020 Games. Changing his body and training regimen for the shorter Olympic format was a mighty task, and ultimately Kristian fell short of the win he was aiming for. He admits his 12th place in Paris was a disappointment, but Kristian wasn’t down for long. He turned his attention back to Ironman races, and just 13 days later he won Ironman Frankfurt, smashing the course record along the way.
With that stunning performance at Frankfurt under his belt, Kristian set his sights on the Ironman Worlds in Kona, Hawaii last September. Things were going according to plan for the Norwegian as he powered his CADEX Tri bike through the early stages of the 180km bike leg—but he was suddenly slowed by stomach issues and vomiting. Kristian soldiered on but eventually finished 35th.
That brings us to now. We caught up with Kristian in the south of France this winter as he and fellow Norwegian Gustav Iden trained for the upcoming season. The 2024 Ironman World Championships in Nice will be an entirely different challenge than Kona, particularly the bike course. Heading away from the start on the famous Cote d’Azur coastline, it takes competitors on a winding ascent up to the villages of Vence, Gourdon and Tourettes-sur-Loup as it scales over 2400 meters of elevation over its 180km distance.
As he put in the winter training and focused on his new goal, Kristian went for a run down the iconic Promenade des Anglais, alongside the Mediterranean Sea, and stated his goal for September: “It’s time to get back.”
