Race week for Challenge Family’s The Championship has kicked off with confirmation that Norwegian elite triathlete Gustav Iden will line up for the event this Sunday, May 22. He joins an already strong field of leading athletes at the x-bionic sphere sports resort in Šamorín, Slovakia.
Iden, currently at number two in the PTO rankings, joins a 50-strong international pro field. This includes Frederic Funk (DEU), Kyle Smith (NZL), Miki Taagholt (DEN) and Pieter Heemeryck (BEL), amongst others. Sadly, defending champion Florian Angert has had to withdraw, a move he said was “devastating”.
Iden knows the 113km course well having competed at last year’s Collins Cup. He said “I’m very excited to be back racing here at the amazing venue at the x-bionic sphere.
“After some sickness in the last few weeks, I am very grateful Challenge Family was able to give me this opportunity on such short notice. I don’t expect to be on my all-time high, but I’m still really looking forward to being on the start line for my season opener.”
In the women’s field, defending champion, Lucy Buckingham, recently third at Anfi Challenge Gran Canaria, has strong competition in the form of Emma Pallant-Browne (GBR), Amelia Watkinson (NZL), Fenella Langridge (GBR), Daniela Bleymehl (DEU), Sara Perez Sala (ESP) and Ashleigh Gentle (AUS).
Over 1,130 athletes from 42 nations will race at The Championship on May 22, with a free-to-air broadcast at www.challenge-family.live.
Coverage starts at 08:45 CET, with the male pro start at 09:00 and female pro start at 9:10
