He has already done it twice: in 2015 and 2016 Jan Frodeno won the Triathlon World Championship in Kailua-Kona on Big Island, Hawaii. Now the German top athlete and global Brand Ambassador for Mercedes-Benz has done it for a third time. Following a break due to injury in 2018 and an average performance because of back problems in 2017, the 38-year-old was in top form this year and relished the challenge: “The ‘Legend of Kona’ gets a triathlete’s heart racing”, said Jan Frodeno of competing. “I have an irrepressible urge to launch an all-out attack again here.”
This was not easy in view of the extreme conditions in which the participants have to swim 2.4, cycle 120 mile and run 26.2 miles on Hawaii. This is because tropical heat with temperatures over 30 degrees and extremely high humidity of 70 percent and above are typical during the triathlon in Hawaii. The competition is the ultimate heated battle by the time the athletes reach the final marathon stage on the black asphalted and shadeless Queen K . Highway.
Jan Frodeno;EQC Edition 1886: combined electrical consumption: 20.8 – 19.7 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/km*
Good preparation is everything
“Anyone wanting to win on Hawaii must undertake preparations that are as intensive as they are well balanced”, says Jan Frodeno. “Preparations like this have many facets. The inevitably harsh training, nutrition, mental aspects, as well as optimisation of the equipment and adapting to the heat – everything has to dovetail in the end.” For the German triathlete this targeted focus on the competition in Hawaii began shortly after his victory at the Triathlon European Championships in Frankfurt, which qualified him for Hawaii. Since then, in his adopted home of Girona he has completed an ambitious training programme, supported by his team and, of course, his family. This includes a partner which is reliable and energy-charged in equal measure: the EQC Edition 1886 (combined electrical consumption: 20.8 – 19.7 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/km)[1]. Mercedes-Benz provided its global Brand Ambassador with the special edition of the premium electric SUV for the preparatory phase in Girona.
Perfect training partner
Jan Frodeno is putting the EQC Edition 1886 to intensive use in Girona. When he is not at the wheel himself, such as on his morning drive to the sea for swimming training, his physiotherapist accompanies him in it, mostly for cycling training. The EQC is impressive in all disciplines: the electric vehicle offers the familiar high comfort, the dynamism and the quality of a Mercedes-Benz with zero local CO2 emissions and a range of more than 450 kilometres, which makes it ideal for everyday use. Then there are the avant-garde aesthetics and a multitude of user-friendly services. The EQC thus marks Mercedes-Benz’s departure into a new era of electric mobility. So Jan Frodeno is more than pleased with his climate-friendly training partner: “I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the EQC. It offers unadulterated dynamism and driving pleasure with its brilliant acceleration. All this with a good conscience, because thanks to the two electric engines there are zero local CO2 emissions.” A further advantage from the athlete’s point of view is the lack of background noise. “The EQC is the perfect support vehicle – for instance, you don’t hear it at all when climbing a pass in the Pyrenees. This means that nothing distracts me from my training and, above all, I can enjoy the landscape and the peace and quiet in the process.” Jan Frodeno has also been impressed by the many useful assistance systems and service functions of his emission-free companion. For example, alongside latest-generation driving assistance systems, the EQC Edition 1886 offers an extensive service package with maintenance service, a collect and return service, a vehicle warranty extension, an optimised navigation system and charging management system.
