Talk with Sebastian Kienle after he became 3rd at the IRONMAN world championships in Kona, Hawaii
After his second 70.3 world champion title in Las Vegas Sebastian is on the way to be recognized as the prince of the sport standing for the 3rd generation after the 1st generation with stars like Mark Allen and Dave Scott, and the 2nd generation with proponents like Norman Stadler and Chris McCormack, only to mention the most famous couples of triathlon.
Sebastian got the athletic abilities, the mental strength and moreover people love him due to the fact that he is not afraid to antagonize in public.
He may not see it like this himself, but I think he has got some talent as a showman and entertainer. He even does not give a bad photo model. Most triathletes are very bad in posing. All these character traits of him give this sport the spices it needs.
He went into this race under the pressure of huge expectations. To cross the finish line in 3rd place was an outstanding achievement under these circumstances, and I think it is not amazing that Sebastian experienced several situations on the run when he pondered to quit.
If you want to know why he didn’t and how he got out of this crisis, listen to Sebi, the prince.