Jelle Geens becomes first Belgian to win Ironman 70.3 World Championship

Triathlete Jelle Geens made history on Sunday morning in Taupo, New Zealand when he became the first Belgian to win the Ironman 70.3 World Championship.

The Ironman 70.3, also known as the Half Ironman, consists of a 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21.1km run. Geens won the race in a time of 3:32:09.

The 31-year-old finished ahead of New Zealander Hayden Wilde and Frenchman Léo Bergère, who won silver and bronze respectively at the Paris Olympic triathlon. For comparison, Geens finished 42nd in that event.

It was a close race all the way, with Geens trailing Wilde at the start of the half-marathon. But the New Zealander faded in the final kilometres and Geens overtook him to become the first Belgian champion.

"It was a crazy day," Geens said. "It will take time for it to really sink in. This is something I dreamed of."

World champions

Belgium has been on the rise in triathlon in recent years. Last month, Marten Van Riel became world champion at the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Championship in Dubai. Van Riel also holds the unofficial Ironman 70.3 world record of 3:26:06.

The Belgian triathlon team had been aiming for a medal in the mixed relay event at the Paris Olympics before Claire Michel pulled out due to illness.

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