A triathlon before sailing
When the Power Group trains, they tend to concentrate on one discipline per day. But not today. With the triathlete Kristian Blummenfelt on hand at the base to show them the ropes, the team got a taste of a triathlete’s daily routine!
Fresh from the PTO US Open with a medal in his pocket, the Norwegian Olympic champion flew to Barcelona to find out more about the America’s Cup and to see the AC75 sailing before heading back to the Font-Romeu base where he has been training for the last two months.
In a reversal of a usual visit however, his America’s Cup experience began with him immersing the sailors in his world, starting with a bike ride at 06:30! "I'd heard that the Power Group was quite powerful on the bikes, as it's the tool that enables them to provide the energy needed to adjust the boat. I wanted to check it out for myself, and I can confirm that they have very strong legs!" said Kristian. "If I had to sprint against them, they'd certainly win. On the run though... I think I'm OK."
Following the morning bike ride, Kristian went for a run with the Driving Group sailors before heading to the base to meet the rest of the team. "It's impressive to see so many people working together towards a single goal: the America's Cup," added the man who was the first to complete an IRONMAN in under 7 hours. "What I found exciting is that the focus is not just on the athletes, as is the case in many sports. 120 people are needed to achieve Alinghi Red Bull Racing's goal, and I've had the opportunity to discover all the different operations behind the boat and to meet the engineers and support team.”
Having had a tour of the base, Kristian hopped onto a chase boat to watch the AC75 sail its first training session following a short break during the team’s move to their new home in Barcelona. "I was able to see how fast the boat goes, which was absolutely incredible," he said, before completing his third discipline of the day and jumping into the sea off Barcelona for a swim alongside the AC75. "It was impressive to see the boat fly, I wasn't expecting that at all!”
The triathlete wasn’t the only one to be impressed, as Théry Schir, a Power Group member pointed out having trained with him all day: "It was a chance to learn from the best. He's one of the legends of his sport, but at the same time he's extremely calm. It was fascinating to be able to talk to him. I come from a cycling background, so I can measure the performance he achieves in my discipline, combined with a marathon and a 3.8km swim!"
After a long day of training and sharing, Théry took stock: "Sailing and triathlons are two very different sports, but I see a lot of similarities between them: preparation is key, as is discipline and the hours of work that go into it. These are sports where there's no room for error.”
