Hamburg gears up for the Jan Frodeno show

How big a celebrity is Jan Frodeno here in Europe? Here in Hamburg, as he prepares for tomorrow’s Ironman European Championship, the German Olympic and three-time Ironman World Champion (not to mention a couple of 70.3 world titles) can’t move around the city without being swarmed by autograph and selfie seekers. To grab a quick three-minute interview between today’s press conference and Frodeno’s pre-race swim, we had to sneak off to a fenced off area to get away from the horde.

It’s been about two-years since Frodeno finished a full-distance effort – the “Battle Royale” with Lionel Sanders in July, 2021 (see below) – and his fans are desperate to see him compete over the distance again. Sidelined by injuries for most of 2022, Frodeno’s return to racing began with his fourth-place finish at the PTO European Open in Ibiza. Now he’s here in Hamburg as the prohibitive favourite, at an event renowned for its huge crowds – many of whom will be ready to cheer their hometown hero on to another big win.

Frodeno sets new world-best as he dominates Sanders at Zwift Tri Battle Royale

“It’s nice to be back,” Frodeno said. “It’ll be interesting to see what the crowds bring tomorrow.”

Frodeno looks super-fit, and appears ready to put on a show for all those on hand.

“It’s been hard work, the last four weeks – I’ve been happy,” he said of his preparation.

While others might be annoyed by the non-stop attention, Frodeno appears to be relishing it.

“It’s crazy what the sport has brought,” he said. “I always think back to my first signing session and six people showed up in an hour. It’s really incredible because everyone is positive. Everyone wants to send you good vibes. I’m reframing it and seeing it as something really cool to be able to share nerves with everyone else.”

Frodeno doesn’t appear to be nervous at all, but he says he is.

“Nervous is different at different times in life,” he said. “When you have expectations and then your expectations change … there’s some uncertainty because it’s been a long time and there’s been some injuries. An Ironman feels different to a PTO race because there’s just so much more to think of. It’s so much longer. It’s more than twice as long. It’s where my heart lies, where my passion sits. I care, therefore I’m nervous.”

Frodeno might care, but so too will pretty much everyone in this city. Like a true champion, though, he seems to be taking all the pressure, and attention, in stride.