Remarkable news from Ironman – although the organization itself hasn’t mentioned it – as Swiss athlete Sven Thalmann has received a slot for the Ironman World Championship in Nice. Thalmann recently competed in Ironman Lanzarote but dropped out after running just over thirty kilometers. Despite that, he has been given a wildcard and will be allowed to start in Nice this September.
This wildcard is surprising since Thalmann didn’t even finish in Lanzarote, let alone achieve the necessary placement to qualify for the Ironman World Championship. However, the story is a bit more complex. The Swiss athlete clocked the fastest swim time at 45:42 minutes and was the first to start the bike leg. That’s where things went wrong: the motorbikes of the organization, which were riding ahead of him, accidentally took the wrong turn and went off the course, causing Thalmann to lose valuable time and his lead.
Thalmann continued the race, recording a bike time of 5:09:50, and even started the marathon. Initially strong, his pace dropped significantly after 20 kilometers, and after a bit more than 30 kilometers, he withdrew from the race. Thalmann then filed a protest with the organization; it was approved, and as a result he was granted a slot for the Ironman World Championship.
Ironman has not publicly announced the awarding of this wildcard. Thalmann is also not yet listed on their roster of already qualified athletes for the Ironman World Championship in Nice, although the other slot winners from Ironman Lanzarote are.
