It was all about the Gustav Iden vs. Jan Frodeno battle – the number two and one of the PTO ranking – but another name was added to the list: Lionel Sanders. Today, the Canadian star athlete announced to toe the line of Ironman California (Oct. 24, 2021). These three aren’t the only impressive names on the list, among others Cameron Wurf (AUS), America’s Ben Hoffman (USA), Matt Russell (USA) and Justin Metzler (USA) are present too.
The biggest battle will likely emerge between three time Ironman world champion Frodeno and two-time 70.3 world champion Iden. Surprisingly, it’s Norway’s Iden who’s currently leading the PTO ranking, as the Norwegian athlete was more present in races throughout 2021 than Frodeno was thus far. That means Frodeno is burning to do some catching up and re-claim the top position. A little disadvantage for Iden is that he makes his debut on the full distance. Expectations are set high, with fans expecting the Norwegian to battle with the man that’s considered to be the GOAT in this discipline, referring to Frodeno.
In the meanwhile, Sanders will give his all to try and beat these two men. Sanders is not afraid to change his approach when it comes to training, and he recently decided to hire a new coach. Interesting enough, that is the same coach as Iden has: Iden’s older brother Mikal.
A full start list can be found here.
