Ironman has announced that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Gold Medal winners in the individual triathlon events, Flora Duffy (BER) and Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR), have been offered a special invitation to compete at the Ironman World Championship in Kona.
The event takes place on October 9, 2021 and the athletes have been given an Ironman professional triathlete qualifying exemption. Duffy and Blummenfelt have both already qualified for the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championship and therefore do not need a qualifying exemption for that event.
“We congratulate Flora and Kristian on their fantastic performances in Tokyo and in celebrating their accomplishments, we are pleased to provide them the opportunity to carry their success to our world championship events,” said Ironman CEO Andrew Messick. “The extension of these invitations to both the male and female Olympic Gold Medal winners aligns marquee events within the overall triathlon event calendar, showcasing just how impressive our professional triathletes are across multiple distances. After a very difficult stretch for the sporting world, we believe that offering these slots will help to continue to promote triathlon, including the accomplishment of those at the pinnacle of short course racing.”
