Kristian Blummenfelt sets his sights on Olympic gold

There was definitely FOMO (fear of missing out) for the Olympic gold medalist and Ironman and 70.3 world champion. Kristian Blummenfelt was in Nice for the men’s Ironman World Championship, but he wasn’t racing. Instead he was on hand for a promotion for his running shoe sponsor, On, and then off for a final training camp before tomorrow’s World Triathlon Championships Final in Pontevedra.

Even though “On throws good parties,” Blummenfelt was struggling to be in Nice and not racing.

“There’s FOMO to be here,” he said in an interview at the On function. “We have such great memories from here in 2019 (when Nice hosted the Ironman 70.3 World Championship). But, we have to think about Paris and do everything we can to be up there. The sacrifice for that is not racing.”

Blummenfelt has managed an incredible balance of long-distance racing and WTCS events in 2023, but after a tough day at the 70.3 worlds in Lahti – like many of the athletes who competed at the PTO Asian Open in Singapore, the Norwegian star had ended up sick for the event in Finland the following week – it was time to refocus his efforts on draft-legal racing.

Kristian Blummenfelt dominates PTO Asian Open: Good news and bad news

“I feel the half distance is OK,” Blummenfelt said. “At the PTO events I’ve got three podiums, but now I’m a minute off the run speed of Hayden (Wilde) and Alex (Yee), and they’re probably going to get even better for next year, so I I need to dial in that run speed and also a little on the swim.”

It’s been an interesting year for Blummenfelt, who has enjoyed success over a variety of distances, but not a lot of wins. He took his first PTO Open title in Singapore and has managed a number of top finishes at WTCS events, but has hardly dominated either series. Then, on top of all that, his close friend and training partner, Gustav Iden, has endured a difficult year of poor racing, the loss of his mother and an injury that has forced him to call it a season.

“2023 has been OK, but not stellar, and I feel things are within reach for next year,” Blummenfelt continued. “Of course it’s been difficult to see all the rough moments that Gustav has had over the last year. It’s healthy for him to have this break and recharge the batteries for next year.”

Blummenfelt is looking forward to getting back to some hard training with Iden.

“There’s something about, when the weather is really bad and you feel tired before the start and you’re still able to nail a session and you feel happy, relieved and proud at the end of the session,” he said. “Those are some of the moments you remember as much as the races.”

Blummenfelt is all-too-aware that he’s still got some work to do if he’s going to be able to defend his gold medal in Paris, especially considering how strong Yee has been running. He’s confident he can get there, though.

“I think he won Leeds by 60 seconds in 2021 (he actually beat Blummenfelt by 66 seconds) – he was well ahead on the run there, and I still managed to track him when it mattered,” Blummenfelt said. “So, I still think I know where I have to be and also what sort of fitness I have to be in order to run with him. I’m not in my greatest run shape this season, so I still feel that if I get 75 seconds quicker and also get better in the water and more dialled in for the distance, I should be closer.”