Two years ago now, Chris Nikic became the first triathlete with Down syndrome to complete a Long Distance. He crossed the finish line of Ironman Florida after 16:46:09 at the time, and from that moment on his star was rising. His achievement went viral and all over the world. It will be no different now, as just a few minutes ago Nikic also finished the World Championship Ironman at Kona, making it his second Long Distance.
Nikic finished the race in 16:31:27 and was 15 minutes faster than his first race in Florida. The swim took him 1:42:41 and then began perhaps the most difficult part for him: biking. Nikic is not very stable and had tremendous trouble with the wind on Kona leading up to the race, causing him to crash several times. Still, Nikic managed to complete the bike in a time of 8:05:37, which meant he was “only” a marathon away from writing new history.
Nikic succeeded, as just before the cut-off and with a run time of 6:29:01, Nikic crossed the finish line in a total time of 16:31:27. Over the past few days, not only did many triathletes take pictures with Nikic, but dozens of pro athletes as well. Nikic is considered an inspiration to triathletes worldwide and trains according to the principle of ‘1 percent better every day’.
