The German triathlete confirmed yesterday he will be lining up for Challenge Wanaka next month, the first Challenge Family — an international triathlon festival race series — race of the year.
Challenge Wanaka will be the start of Kienle’s year-long retirement tour, running in his bucket list races before finishing his professional career at the end of the year.
Alongside three world titles, Kienle, who is regarded as one of the worlds great triathletes, has been in the top five at the Kona Ironman about five times and won at DATEV Challenge Roth and Challenge Family The Championship.
"Throughout my career I’ve done a lot of races, but usually it was always on the same schedule.
"But every year in February I started to get itchy, you see the season starting but it is far away on the other side of the world.
"Every year I looked at all the great pictures from Wanaka and thought ‘one year I’ll break the mould and go there’.
"The years flew by and now it is my last year in the sport and it’s time to fulfil a couple of dreams I still have in the sport.
"Racing Challenge Wanaka is up on the top of this list."
He is joined by a predominantly Australian and New Zealand field, including Matt Burton fresh off his third place at Ironman Western Australia, which he won the year before.
Burton placed second and third at Challenge Wanaka in 2020 and 2019 respectively.
Caleb Noble, who placed second at Challenge St Polten and third at Challenge Malta last year, and Sam Osbourne are also in the mix.
The women’s field is headed by Rebecca Clarke, who lives in Wanaka for most of the year.
She had the season of her career last year winning in Tauranga, coming second at Ironman Australia and third in the Ironman 70.3 in Taupo.
Clarke will have strong competition from Grace Thek, of Australia, who had five podium finishes last year including second at St Polten, as well as Courtney Gilifan and Samantha Kingsford.
