Diana Riesler: ‘The medal from Gdynia has got a special place at my home’
Diana, you are coming back to Herbalife IRONMAN 70.3 Gdynia to defend your last year’s title. How do you remember that race?
Gdynia was a great experience for me. Not only because of winning my first IRONMAN 70.3 title. It has always been my wish to visit this region of Poland, so the two dreams came true at the same time.
There will be some changes to the courses this year. The swim exit and transition zone are going to be moved but the most important change is the bike course. It will be one loop of 90k this time, leading through the hilly Kashubian region. How do you feel about it?
I’m very excited about it. I like flat courses like the bike course from 2015. But I really love rolling courses. That’s why I’m really looking forward to the new hilly course.
What are your expectations regarding your performance? Do you feel 100% recovered after quitting IRONMAN Frankfurt during the swim part?
Well, the hypothermia was affecting my body much more than I expected. But after 2 weeks of solid training I feel very fit and my times are very promising. While the first half of the season was not perfect, I look forward to just hammering Herbalife IRONMAN 70.3 Gdynia.
Mary Beth Ellis seems to be the strongest contender in the women’s field. How do you feel about your rivalry in Gdynia?
Yes, Mary definitively is the strongest woman in this field. We both were battling a bit over the last few weeks. I hope that I won’t lose too much time in the swim and can fight for the title again. I am just going to go out and give all I have on the race day.
Last year, it was you and Nils Frommhold, who prevailed in Gdynia. In 2014, the male winner was Andreas Raelert. Just a couple of days ago, Jan Frodeno shocked the triathlon community again with his world record breaking performance in Roth. Where is the key to success for German long distance triathlon?
Over the recent years triathlon has become really popular in Germany. All of us train hard to achieve their goals. Of course, there is also the financial aspect. Let’s be honest: to succeed in triathlon you need a solid financial background. The strong German economy certainly helps.
What are your plans for the rest of the season?
I would like to race several other European races, like IRONMAN Vichy and IRONMAN Wales.
Is there anything special about Gdynia that you can remember the most? Any specific features that make the race stand out of the others?
I used to sail a bit in the past. Therefore, you can imagine how nice it was to swim towards the ship and then get a medal with a sailing ship on it. It’s got a special place at my home.
4:23:01 – that was your time last year at Herbalife IRONMAN 70.3 Gdynia. What’s the plan for August 7th?
To be faster, of course!
Hope you can make it! Wish you all the best and see you in Gdynia!
Thank you. I look forward to being back in Gdynia!