Three-time Ironman world champion Jan Frodeno has today announced that he won’t be racing at Kona in October and that 2023 will probably be his last year competing as a pro triathlete.
Speaking in a video he posted to Instagram, the German explained he’s had to step back from Kona after having a bike crash a couple of weeks ago, which has subsequently resulted in an infection to the tissue around the trochanter in his hip.
It means he’ll need between 2-5 surgeries to treat the condition and he’ll face a spell on the sidelines while he recovers.
“I had my first surgery on Thursday,” explained Frodeno. “So far things are going well, but of course this puts an end to my Kona dreams for 2022 and it’s given me a stop to what’s been a very tricky few months, and a chance to reset, restart and plan for what will be I think my final 14 months in the sport.”
But that doesn’t mean anyone should write him off just yet. “I’m very much still burning, I’m still passionate, still loving it too much and I don’t think I’m the next old guy who just can’t find the step to jump off,” Frodeno continued.
“I actually truly still love the game, and [Challenge] Roth has shown me that my performance can still be up there and I’d like to do it in a nice way. I’d like to be able to train, I’d like to stand there at full potential and there’s just been too many rocks in the road.
“I’m going to take some time off, recover properly from this, see how the surgeries go and then come and recharge with and around my family, and get settled in to the new home we have in Andorra.
“There are just a lot of things going on, a lot of things I’m looking forward to exploring and the final chapter in the sporting career is the positive that I take from this.”
The news comes after a tricky few months for Frodeno. He had to pull out of the 2021 Ironman World Championship in May after suffering a partial tear to his Achilles tendon and has attempted to recover and manage that injury ever since.
He lined up to race Challenge Roth on 3 July and was on course for victory, but it just wasn’t meant to be and Frodeno pulled out 3km into the run after sensing trouble with his Achilles once again.
Top image credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman