The hat-Trick in Hawaii, this goal motivated triathlete Patrick Long, who won the Ironman world championship twice. This year, even in record time. In a DW Interview, he looks back on this great Triumph.
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Ironman World Champion Patrick Long
DW: Patrick Long, you have been chosen to be athlete of the year. Before you have to get the Bambi. You feel on these big stages?
Patrick Long: You have to really grow in. For me, this is of course uncharted territory. I’m only three years of full-time triathlete, and I have managed luckily to establish myself in a short time in the top. Basically, I’m going to pull out there, but a lot of positive energy.
The value of a successful title defense at the Ironman world Championships in Hawaii was for you?
I had to fight over the season with the burden of the world champion. As a world champion you have to win somehow. I had to learn to deal with it. I have also always said that I want to defend Hawaii my title. This is me Yes now also the first man under eight hours.
This record of the time you are done, especially thanks to their great strength in the Run. What is your secret that you have of the Marathon, seemingly so easily?
Patrick Long in Hawaii
Running Economy plays a large role. I am, I believe, the first Triathlon professional who works specifically with a run-of – technology-coach- now over almost ten years. We have looked at the Africans. The have a running style that is completely silent. A normal Hobby-runner, however, is a splash with his feet on the ground. So energy is dissipated. The normal Hobby runners, running like a cube on the corners and edges with a lot of resistors, and anyone who wants to run fast, you should rather run like a Ball. To turn around and without energy-wasting.
What is actually still in the memory of the nearly eight-hour Ironman in Hawaii?
I’ve got a lot of impressions collected. If you won a race, and his dream is fulfilled, everything is superimposed very positive. But of course, it was an emotional roller coaster ride for me. I couldn’t retrieve my performance in the Swim. Here, I’ve lost more time than planned. Then I said to myself then, that I have to start the race in your head. The has helped. When Cycling I have shown this to be one of my best performances ever, and while Running I managed, ultimately, the six minutes behind, I had on the top, relatively quickly equalize.
As a coronation, they made their friend Julia, also a marriage proposal. What is the significance of this Moment for you?
With this in mind, I have motivates me in Training for several months very strong. I have pulled a lot of energy out of it. That this Moment, as it has been presented, entry is very emotional and simply indescribable. I will not forget for my whole life. My fiancée certainly not. It was for us, actually the Biggest on this day.
After nearly eight hours of high-performance sports Patrick had for a Long time, even for a marriage proposal
How hard is it to motivate yourself after the successful defence of the title, now for more excellence?
After the fulfillment of my lifelong dream, it is now, of course, that I have to figure out how to do it. Nico Rosberg, for example, has stopped after winning the formula 1 world championship, because he has achieved everything. This feeling I have, however, for a long time. I respect it, if someone assigns to his climax. But I still have a lot of. I can still achieve a lot in the Triathlon, and I think I can just race in Hawaii, this is me, obviously, well, still a success add. Maybe I can do it sometime in the ranks of the great triathletes.
How very buzzing because now the term “Hawaii-hat-Trick” in your head?
So I’m faced, of course, necessarily often. And I’d be lying if I would say that what motivates me.
Patrick Long, born on 25. August 1986, is a German triathlete and two-time winner of the Ironman Hawaii (2017, 2018). He is the first participant who completed the demanding competition in a time of under eight hours.
The Interview was conducted by Florian Zschiedrich