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Belgian Kenneth Vandendriessche training for this year's Ironman
Photo: IMAGO/DAVID PINTENS / IMAGO/Belga
Two-time Hawaii champion Patrick Lange has criticized the expansion of the Ironman World Championship to two days.
"I've thought about it for a long time, but I've found more and more negative factors for doubling," said the 36-year-old of the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung": "In general, I think that the classic variant is much better.
One day, one race.
As many starters as before.«
For the first time, women and men start on different days, which means that the total number of starters at the World Championships has doubled from 2,500 to 5,000. »If you look at how the prices have developed here, if you look at what was already happening here a week before the start there's an incredible amount of traffic, it just can't be good to hold this event over two days," says Lange.
Accommodation on the island for the week of the race costs up to 15,000 euros, and star trainer Dan Lorang also sees this as a »big point of criticism.
I find it extreme, especially for the age groupers, how much money they have to pay to take part.
The prize money for the professionals is also not in relation to the costs," said the coach of Anne Haug and Jan Frodeno of the "Frankfurter Rundschau".
The dream of starting in the triathlon Mecca of Hawaii will be "unaffordable in the future," Lange fears.
Extreme attempts are now being made on the island "to make a profit from the Ironman.
The prices are skyrocketing,” Lorang explained.
The women's competition takes place on Thursday, the men start on Saturday (6:25 p.m. each time/both ZDF).
Different dates are also planned for the coming year.
aha/sid/dpa
