Two-time defending Ironman 70.3 world champion Gustav Iden might not have quite the same star-power as his Olympic gold-medal-winning countryman Kristian Blummenfelt, but the 25-year-old Norwegian is rapidly becoming a major long-distance star, too. Today we learned that Iden will join the likes of cycling star Peter Sagan (and his Bora-Hansgrohe team) after signing a multi-year deal with San Diego-based 100% and will wear the company’s eyewear as part of a “long-term partnership.” Iden had previously been sponsored by Oakley.
Iden burst onto the long-distance scene in 2019 when he ran away from Alistair Brownlee on the Promenade des Anglais at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice. Just over a year later he showed his running prowess again when he took the Professional Triathletes Organization (PTO) 2020 Championship that was part of Challenge Daytona.
After finishing eighth at the Olympic Games in Tokyo last July, Iden went on to defend his 70.3 world title in St. George, then had an incredible Ironman debut in winning Ironman Florida, running away from Lionel Sanders to take the win in record-setting style.
Those results earned Iden the top spot in the PTO World Ranking for 2021, which no-doubt helped make him an attractive athlete for 100% to sponsor. There’s no specific details provided by 100% on the duration of the “long-term” deal.
