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Jan Frodeno

Photo: IMAGO/BEAUTIFUL SPORTS/Hilger / IMAGO/Beautiful Sports

Triathlon superstar Jan Frodeno has celebrated an outstanding victory in his penultimate race at world-class level. Two weeks before his 42nd birthday, the Rhinelander prevailed on Friday (local time) at the US Open of the Professional Triathlon Organization (PTO) in a top-class field over 2 kilometers of swimming, 80 kilometers of cycling and 18 kilometers of running in Milwaukee in the US state of Wisconsin.

"It's been an emotional few weeks," Frodeno said. After 3:14:12 hours, he stretched his arms to the sky and shouted out his joy at the victory comeback: "And I'm very lucky to be able to enjoy it now."

The three-time Ironman champion from Hawaii finished fourth at the Ironman in Hamburg at the beginning of June. At the beginning of May, Frodeno also missed the podium in fourth place at the PTO's European Open in Ibiza. He had previously had to cancel his actual start to the season after a difficult past year with injuries and setbacks due to a virus. When he arrived in the USA from the training camp in Lanzarote, he also had to deal with flight problems.

For the victory, Frodeno collects $ 100,000

All the greater were the jubilation and probably also the satisfaction after his demonstration of power against the younger generation. Second place went to Jason West from the USA, 27 seconds behind. The Norwegian Kristian Blummenfelt, shooting star and Frodeno's fiercest challenger, ended up in third place after cramps when switching from cycling to running, another ten seconds behind. "Hats off," the 29-year-old commented in the direction of the winner.

"When Kristian hit me on the way to the first buoy, I thought, 'You can have the changing of the guard, but the throne stays with me,'" Frodeno said. He had already engaged in a small battle of words for the cameras in the preliminary coverage with Blummenfelt, who, like Frodeno, became Olympic champion and Ironman world champion.

More on the subject

  • Triathlon comeback after a long period of suffering: "Not the dream debut" – Frodeno finishes fourth in Ibiza

  • Triathlon classics: World best times for women and men – Frodeno no longer the king of Roth

  • Triathlon:Hawaii loses men's Ironman World Championship

For winning the US Open, Frodeno collected 100,000 US dollars. Above all, however, he sent a clear signal to the competition before his career finale with the Ironman World Championship on September 10 in Nice on the Côte d'Azur. "The days when you can set your own pace and feel really good are few and far between," Frodeno said. At the moment of success, he also remembered the difficult path and the time a year ago: "I was in the hospital and had my first operation."

After problems with the Achilles tendon, hip inflammation had made it difficult for him. "Coming back and competing against the best of the best is just a privilege," said Frodeno, who had taken the lead in eighth place after swimming and second after cycling on the running course. "A legendary achievement by a legendary man," wrote the PTO.

ara/dpa