Jan Frodeno facts for kids
Jan Frodeno at the 2015 Ironman Germany in Frankfurt am Main.
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| Nickname(s) | Frodo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 18 August 1981 Cologne, West Germany |
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| Residence | Girona, Spain (Apr-Oct), Noosa, Australia (Nov-Mar) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 76 kg (168 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other interests | Beach Volleyball, Surfing, Cooking, Coffee | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Tri-Sport Saar-Hochwald e. V. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Bahrain Elite Endurance Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Dan Lorang | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Jan Frodeno (born August 18, 1981) is a famous German triathlete. A triathlete is an athlete who competes in a race that combines swimming, cycling, and running. Jan is known for winning a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing for triathlon.
He also won the Ironman World Championship three times (in 2015, 2016, and 2019). Additionally, he won the Ironman 70.3 World Championship twice (in 2015 and 2018). In 2016, he set a world record for the long-distance triathlon in Roth, Germany. He broke his own record in 2021, setting a new best time. Many people consider Jan Frodeno to be the greatest triathlete of all time.
Contents
Jan's Athletic Journey
Starting in Triathlon
Jan Frodeno was born in Cologne, Germany. He started his sports journey as a swimmer in South Africa when he was 15 years old. In 2000, he discovered triathlon and decided to try it.
He moved to Germany to compete in the Triathlon-Bundesliga, which is a top triathlon league. By 2002, he was good enough to join the German national team. He trained hard at the Olympic Training Centre in Saarbrücken. Before his big Olympic win, his best result was finishing sixth in the 2007 World Championships. He also won the German Championship that same year.
Olympic Gold Medal
Jan Frodeno's gold medal win at the 2008 Summer Olympics was a big surprise to many. He won in a very close finish against Simon Whitfield, who was an Olympic champion from 2000. Another top favorite, Javier Gómez, finished fourth. Jan's victory happened just one day after his 27th birthday.
After his Olympic win, Jan continued to perform well in 2009 and 2010. He finished fourth overall in the World Championship Triathlon Series both years. In 2010, he was close to becoming World Champion. However, an injury prevented him from getting the necessary high finish in the final race.
Switching to Longer Races
Jan Frodeno competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics again, finishing sixth in the men's triathlon event. In 2013, he decided to stop competing in the shorter triathlon races. He won a gold medal as part of the German team in the mixed relay triathlon world championships that year.
After that, he switched to longer endurance triathlons, which are much tougher. He finished second at the 2013 Ironman 70.3 European Championships. He then got his first Ironman 70.3 win in 2014 in Auckland. He also finished third in his first full-length Ironman race and third at the 2014 Ironman World Championship.
Becoming an Ironman Champion
In 2015, Jan Frodeno had a great year. He won the Ironman 70.3 Oceanside event. He also won the Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt, Germany, setting a new course record.
Later that year, he won the 2015 Ironman 70.3 World Championship. On October 10, 2015, he made history. He became the first triathlete ever to win both an Olympic Triathlon Gold medal and the Ironman World Championship title. He had a strong swim, bike, and run to secure this amazing victory.
Setting World Records
On July 17, 2016, Jan Frodeno broke the world record for the long-distance triathlon in Roth, Germany. He finished the race in 7 hours, 35 minutes, and 39 seconds. This was more than five minutes faster than the previous record.
He won his second Ironman World Championship in October 2016. He pulled ahead of his countryman Sebastian Kienle during the run. With another German, Patrick Lange, taking third place, it was a historic moment. It was the first time since 1997 that German athletes took the top three spots in the Ironman World Championship.
More Wins and Challenges
In September 2018, Jan won his second Ironman 70.3 World Championship. He beat other strong athletes like Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee. However, shortly after this win, he suffered a lower back injury. This injury kept him from competing for the rest of the year.
His third Ironman World Championship win came in 2019. This was 13 months after his back injury. He broke the course record, finishing in 7 hours, 51 minutes, and 13 seconds. He became only the third triathlete to finish the World Championship in under 8 hours.
On July 18, 2021, he set an even faster time for a long-distance course: 7 hours, 27 minutes, and 53 seconds. He competed against Lionel Sanders in a special event called the Tri Battle Royale.
Retirement from Racing
After a long period of injuries, Jan Frodeno returned to triathlon in 2023. He won the PTO US Open in Milwaukee, which was an impressive victory. Jan Frodeno finished his amazing career at the Ironman Championships 2023 in Nice, France. He is widely considered the greatest triathlete of all time.
Personal Life
Jan Frodeno is married to Emma Snowsill. She is also an Olympic gold medalist in triathlon, winning the women's race at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
See also
In Spanish: Jan Frodeno para niños
