The comeback planned for Saturday by triathlon star Jan Frodeno has burst. The 41-year-old three-time Ironman World Champion was stopped by a virus.
“Some may already guess what’s coming now,” said Frodeno in a video of about one and a half minutes on Instagram and had to laugh and shake his head himself – probably out of desperation.
“It’s one of those weeks, I honestly can’t believe it myself.” But the doctors found a virus after he felt weak and unwell: “The doctors didn’t give me the green light to race.”
Next Saturday Frodeno wanted to compete in the 70.3 over 1.9 kilometers swimming, 90 kilometers cycling and 21.1 kilometers running in Oceanside, California. He has already won the race three times, most recently in 2018.
“I love racing at Oceanside,” said Frodeno. “It’s annoying, it’s annoying,” he commented on the renewed setback after injuries last year. “I know it’s just a virus and I’ll be back soon.”
Next race attempt in early May on Ibiza
Only at the beginning of the week did Frodeno tell the German Press Agency: “This year I’m most looking forward to making it to as many starting lines as possible and exploiting my maximum potential there again and making the many hours of training effective.” He wanted to enjoy the whole thing again to the fullest. Right at the start he now experiences the next setback in his last career year at the top level.
Last year, a partial tear in the Achilles tendon and a hip injury in the second half of the year stopped him. At the Challenge Roth in July, he had to drop out after switching to the running track.
Frodeno is now planning his next race attempt at the European Open (2/80/18) in Ibiza at the beginning of May, before starting June at the Ironman in Hamburg over 3.86 kilometers of swimming, 180.2 kilometers of cycling and 42.2 kilometers of running want. After a race in the USA in August, the Ironman World Championships are due in Nice in September.
