“The cancellation of Ironman Hawaii was the biggest disappointment of this year. I honestly didn’t expect it.” In an extensive interview with Germany’s Sport1 Patrick Lange openly talks about his 2021 season, the cancellation and move of the World Championship, and he looks ahead at 2022. As Ironman Hawaii got cancelled, Lange shifted his focus towards Challenge Roth and the Ironman North-American Championship, which he both managed to win.
Lange’s alternative program for 2021 may have turned into a big success, Lange prefers a “normal” year with the Ironman World Championship on Hawaii as an absolute highlight. ‘That race is our Mecca. It’s the race where you want to be. We can only hope it will take place again next year. Yet, I understand that it had to be cancelled. The COVID-19 situation on the island was special, since there were just few intensive-care beds available. You never know if it can happen again in 2022 of course, but that’s why it’s good to have St. George in May too; that race will take place for 100 percent.”
And that course suits Lange well, he adds: “I feel confident that I could do well there. If you look back at races in North America, they usually fit me well. So I trust that I could deliver a strong performance there.”
Lange is also convinced that one athlete could be able to win both World Championships – St. George and Kona – in that same year: “There is enough time to build up and with the right periodization you could be in great shape at both events.”
