{"id":17502,"date":"2022-09-26T18:04:20","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T16:04:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.220triathlon.com\/?p=113055"},"modified":"2022-09-26T18:22:12","modified_gmt":"2022-09-26T16:22:12","slug":"daniel-baekkegard-background-career-history-quotes","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/rss_feed\/daniel-baekkegard-background-career-history-quotes\/","title":{"rendered":"Daniel Baekkegard: Background, career history, quotes"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Nige Tassell\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 26 September 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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A serial champion as a teenage swimmer, Denmark\u2019s Daniel Baekkegard has converted this winning habit into his medal-strewn long-course triathlon career.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Below, we take a look at how that story has unfolded.<\/p>\n

Who is Daniel Baekkegard?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Daniel Baekkegard\u2019s teenage ambitions centred around the swimming pool, where he collected an astonishing 20 national titles in his youth.<\/p>\n

But triathlon became his main focus \u2013 and largely by accident. Having suffered a broken arm, his rehabilitation saw him both running and cycling \u2013 disciplines whose attractions, compared to the intense rigour of early-morning swim training, were clear and obvious.<\/p>\n

Having taken up the sport, the Dane won the national junior title in 2014, after which followed a few years of middling, unspectacular results.<\/p>\n

Then, after turning professional ahead of the 2019 season, Baekkegard exploded onto the middle- and long-distance scene. That June in Finland, his first Ironman 70.3 finish came with a win; he replicated this instant success just a week later when he broke the tape \u2013 spectacularly, with his foot \u2013 at Ironman Austria.<\/p>\n

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Daniel Baekkegard wins Ironman Austria in July 2019 (Credit Sebastian Widmann\/Getty Images for Ironman)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

This was his true breakthrough moment. He had smashed the rest of the field, claiming a double-digit winning margin. In one fell swoop, his invitation to Kona was in the post.<\/p>\n

Although his first visit to Hawaii was underwhelming thanks to bike issues, Baekkegard continued to enhance his reputation with some up-and-at-\u2019em performances.<\/p>\n

Stand-outs include 70.3 victories in Tallin, Dubai, Lanzarote and Elsinore, along with several other podium appearances, including a bronze at the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championship<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

That same year featured another notable outing, this time at the inaugural Collins Cup in Slovakia. Only his Team Europe colleagues Jan Frodeno<\/a><\/strong> and Gustav Iden<\/a><\/strong> were faster than the Dane.<\/p>\n

How old is Daniel Baekkegard?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Daniel Baekkegard was born on April 26 1996, making him 25 years of age.<\/p>\n

Daniel Baekkegard\u2019s career highlights<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Third-placed Daniel Baekkegard celebrates with second-placed Sam Long and winner Gustav Iden at the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championship (Credit Patrick McDermott\/Getty Images for Ironman)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

August 2018: Multiple strong placings in Challenge racing<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Having registered his first triathlon success four years earlier when he became the Danish junior champion, Baekkegard has still yet to turn pro.<\/p>\n

He finishes third at Challenge Finland, a result replicated the next month at Challenge Walchsee in Austria. Two more Challenge top 10s follow, in Peguera and Sardinia.<\/p>\n

May 2019: Impressive showing at long-distance worlds<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Having just joined the pro ranks, Baekkegard finishes sixth in the ITU Long-Distance World Championships in Pontevedra in Spain. It\u2019s the longest triathlon he\u2019s yet raced and he comes home 10 minutes after winner Javier G\u00f3mez.<\/p>\n

June 2019: A first 70.3 finish, a first 70.3 victory<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Having failed to complete his first half-Iron attempt on the home turf of Elsinore the previous week, Baekkegard successfully reaches the finish line at Ironman 70.3 Finland, leading home the field thanks to a run that\u2019s nearly three minutes faster than those of his rivals.<\/p>\n

June 2019: A glorious Ironman debut<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Baekkegard holds the finish tape aloft as he celebrates winning Ironman Austria in 2019 (Credit: Nigel Roddis\/Getty Images for Ironman)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Just eight days later, Baekkegard makes his Ironman bow in Austria and obliterates the opposition, finishing more than 11 minutes ahead of silver medallist Stenn Goetstouwers of Belgium. At the first time of asking, Baekkegard has qualified for Kona.<\/p>\n

October 2019: Double disappointment at the world champs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

After coming home 16th at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Nice (16 minutes behind new champion Gustav Iden), Baekkegard only manages one place better in Kona after he loses significant time on the bike thanks to handlebar issues not allowing him into the tuck position.<\/p>\n

Second place at Ironman 70.3 Bahrain in December, where he posts a 1:10 half marathon, eases the disappointment.<\/p>\n

September 2020: The man with the golden touch<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Baekkegard\u2019s only race finish of a Covid-wrecked year comes at Ironman 70.3 Tallinn where his dominant swim gives him a huge two-minute advantage coming into T1. Another medal for the collection.<\/p>\n

March 2021: The winning ways continue<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Back to a full racing calendar, Baekkegard\u2019s season kicks off in winning fashion with victory at Ironman 70.3 Dubai, followed two months later with bronze at Ironman Tulsa.<\/p>\n

August 2021: An eye-catching performance at the Collins Cup<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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As part of a ridiculously strong Team Europe in the inaugural Collins Cup, captain\u2019s pick Baekkegard is the third-fastest male athlete<\/a><\/strong> behind team-mates Frodeno and Iden.<\/p>\n

September 2021: A first world championship medal<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Come September and another third place, this time at the Ironman 70.3 worlds<\/a><\/strong> in St George in Utah. The season ends with gold at Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote.<\/p>\n

June 2022: A victory in his backyard<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Baekkegard continues to split his schedule between half- and full-Iron racing, and takes victory in the former format at Ironman 70.3 Elsinore.<\/p>\n

This is compensation for his recent performance at the Ironman worlds in St George, where he runs out of steam on the marathon, and where the whole field is blown away by Kristian Blummenfelt<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Daniel Baekkegard in quotes<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Baekkegard competes on the bike during the 2021 Ironman World Championship at St George, Utah (Credit: Tom Pennington\/Getty Images for Ironman)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

On his first visit to Kona in 2019 where difficulties on the bike dictated a 15th place: \u201cI was just there to gain experience and I learned a heck of a lot. I made some mistakes. Going through the lava fields, I remember grabbing one of those salt tablets and just threw it into my mouth. That was a lot of salt!\u201d<\/p>\n

On his top-10 finish in the delayed Ironman World Championship in St George in 2022: \u201cSt George didn\u2019t disappoint in the level of hurt! Seventh place in a race where I swam and rode my bike my chance. Unfortunately, I didn\u2019t have enough left in the tank to be in contention on the run\u2026 Back to the drawing board.\u201d<\/p>\n

On competing in the Collins Cup: \u201cTo get the captain\u2019s pick for the second year in a row for the Collins Cup is a huge privilege. The PTO are just taking things to a new level.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next for Daniel Baekkegard?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Still only in his mid-20s, Baekkegard has plenty of time in his tank to seriously compete for a world title and will surely double his chances by continuing to race at both 70.3 and Ironman.<\/p>\n

Currently ranked sixth in the PTO standings, Kona in October offers the next chance of that world crown.<\/p>\n

Top image credit:<\/strong> Ezra Shaw\/Getty Images for Ironman<\/p>\n