Not much after Sebastian Kienle announced his farewell year – this year is his last year as a professional athlete – the former Ironman World Champion let it be known that he wanted to race the Norseman. The race was very high on his bucket list, so he definitely wanted to experience it during his last year as pro athlete. Today he put his money where his mouth is and Kienle finished in a stunning second place.
Against Norwegian Jon Saeveras Breivold, Kienle was no match; the race winner crossed the line of the leaden triathlon after 9:09:57, nearly 25 minutes faster than Kienle, who crossed the line after 9:34:16. Kienle finished with a huge smile, as he visibly enjoyed himself. The bronze went to the Norwegian Allan Hovda, who crossed the line after 9:39:27.
