We caught up with the reigning Olympic champion to talk hectic racing schedules, plans for the year ahead and his disappointment with Norway’s selection policy for Paris\u2026 <\/p>
Reigning Olympic and Ironman 70.3 champion \u200aKristian Blummenfelt<\/a> finished ninth in Paris today at the Olympic Games Test Event.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The Olympic-distance race marked the first of three big events that the Norwegian will be hoping to tick off in just over a week.<\/p>\n Several hours after finishing in Paris, the 2021 Ironman world champion flew to Singapore to take part in the PTO Asian Open<\/strong><\/a> on Sunday before flying back via Paris on Monday to compete in the Ironman 70.3 World Champ<\/strong>s<\/a> on Sunday 27 August.<\/p>\n 220<\/em>: Ninth in Paris, Kristian. How you feeling?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI would have preferred to get a podium,\u201d Blummenfelt joked post-race. \u201cI tried to go with Alex [Yee<\/strong><\/a>] and see if I could get away and get a podium that way, but I just didn\u2019t have the leg speed, or race pace.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was more trying to get a decent position in the end, but it\u2019s pretty cool to finally have been here and had a look at the course, and see how the group and the field is sort of acting on the course and behaving. But a lot of good takeaways from the race.\u201d<\/p>\n 220<\/em>: What\u2019s the Olympic qualification process for Norway? <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWe need podiums in an Olympic-distance. Then if there are more athletes then we have numbers of slots, then it\u2019s the colour on your medal. Then it\u2019s based on the Olympic ranking.<\/p>\n \u201cSo if I medal in Pontevedra then that\u2019s secured. But I\u2019m basically secured anyway because of the poor ranking of the rest of the team.\u201d<\/p>\n 220<\/em>: And it\u2019s straight from here to the airport? <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m leaving this evening. Singapore, 10:40pm, arriving 5:30pm tomorrow. And then, sorting out the transition stuff, going to bed and racing again. I\u2019m back again to Paris on Monday, off to Lahti on Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter that I will have to be much more strict in terms of prioritising the Olympic distance and the training for that. I think it\u2019s been good to do a bit of the Tour this year, but for the next 11 months that will be harder in terms of prioritising.\u201d<\/p>\n 220<\/em><\/strong>: Your race in Hamburg was particularly impressive. You must have taken a lot of confidence from that event. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I think Hamburg<\/strong><\/a> was maybe my best race so far this year in terms of my performance [he finished fourth overall]. I [thought I] should be better on Olympic distance, but I guess I\u2019m a little bit impacted by the last three weeks of traveling and racing.<\/p>\n \u201cSo it\u2019s been going in the right direction in terms of the comeback and the short distance, but again I have to be harder with prioritising.<\/p>\n