“I took it too far” – top star Frodeno cancels the start of the World Cup
Top triathlete Jan Frodeno will miss the world championships in May
Quelle: Getty Images for IRONMAN/Nigel Roddis
Bad news from the triathlon superstar: Jan Frodeno cannot compete at the World Cup in early May and thus missed the first title race in two and a half years. He says: “Mediocre is the enemy.” About the reasons and how to proceed.
SThe triathlon scene has been buzzing for a while. Rumors spread and questions circulated. What’s wrong with Jan Frodeno? Why isn’t the three-time Hawaii champion showing himself on social media as he prepares for the Ironman World Championship on May 7th in St. George? The long-awaited first highlight since Hawaii 2019? At that time Frodeno had triumphed.
Now Frodeno speaks up. “It’s time for an update,” he says in a video on his Instagram account and then confirms what some insiders had feared: “I won’t be on the starting line in St. George.” The 40-year-old has to pass due to injury .
When he competes, Jan Frodeno is the man to beat. Here he celebrates his third world title in Hawaii in 2019
Those: pa / dpa / AP / Marco Garcia
After two-time Hawaii winner Patrick Lange, who did not recover in time after a bicycle accident and a shoulder operation, he is the second German top favorite to drop out. In the women’s field, one of the stars of the scene, Lucy Charles-Barclay, recently had to pull out due to an injury – a stress fracture in her hip.
With Frodeno it is a partial rupture of the Achilles tendon that prevents the start. He honestly says: “If you are looking for your limit, you will reach it sooner or later. I’ve taken it too far.” He pauses for a moment. “But that’s how I tick. This is me. Mediocrity is the enemy.”
His approach has made Frodeno a high-flyer on the scene. To the man who won Olympic gold over the much shorter distance in 2008 and has been the measure of all things over the long distance for years. Now the body has shown him its limits.
“I couldn’t walk for more than an hour,” he says. “But that’s not enough for a marathon, not even half a marathon.” A start over 3.86 kilometers swimming, 180.2 kilometers cycling and 42.2 kilometers running makes no sense.
The dream of the big race in Hawaii remains
And he doesn’t want to risk anything. “Now is the time to play it safe,” says Frodeno. “If you have a partial tear, there is always a risk that more will happen.” Especially since Frodeno still has a lot planned.
Because the World Championships in St George is the start of a super triathlon year with two world championships. In both 2020 and 2021, the Ironman Hawaii, where the title holder is always crowned, had to be canceled due to the pandemic. Two years without a World Cup – the organizers resorted to a trick and postponed the 2021 edition to May 7, 2022 to St. George in the US state of Utah. In October there will be the traditional showdown in Hawaii again.
“Every athlete is as hot as chip fat,” Frodeno recently said to the specialist magazine “triathlon” after a long wait, looking at the two title fights. “I’m more motivated than at some other times.” And now this.
It is the second time in his career that he has missed the fight for the crown. In 2018 he was unable to compete on the Big Island due to a hip injury. “It’s part of the sport, but that doesn’t make it easier,” says Frodeno. “My dream is still to come to Hawaii and do a really big race there. I’ll do everything to be back soon.” Patrick Lange is also planning for Hawaii.
And as much as the two were happy about the World Cup chance in St. George, as much as the injury-related loss hurts, one thing is certain: The Hawaiian myth is unbeatable. And incomparable.
