Completely euphoric, Chris Nikic threw up his arms, pointed to his name on the scoreboard – and shook his head in disbelief. Once again he had made the almost impossible possible and pushed the boundaries.
As the first person with Down syndrome, the American managed the ordeal at the legendary Ironman World Championships in the sweltering heat of Hawaii. After 16:31:27 hours he crossed the finish line on Alii Drive shortly before midnight local time on Thursday (06.10.2022).
New record
Once again he provided inspiration for his fellow human beings. He got one “Dreamrealized, said Nikic. Whoever creates Hawaii, can in life “everything else too” create.
He stayed under the time limit for almost half an hour and undercut the mark of his first Ironman from 2020 in Florida by 15 minutes.
Nikic was born with the chromosomal disorder trisomy 21, which means he has, among other things, a lower muscle tone (the degree of tension in a muscle), a slower reaction time and also learns more slowly.
“Getting one percent better every day”
“Yes, I have natural disadvantages”, says Nikic. But he sees that more as an incentive than as an obstacle. His motto: “Getting one percent better every day.” Coach Dan Grieb always accompanies him as a guide during the race. The 23-year-old needed 1:42:41 hours for the swim, and he completed the 180.2 kilometers on the bike in 8:05:37.
Unlike all professionals or age group athletes, he can’t even begin to assume an aerodynamic position. Because of his handicap, Nikic has to ride very upright, and his natural instability also forces him to use wider tires with significantly more rolling resistance. At dusk, Nikic fought his way through the marathon in 6:29:01, and late at night thousands of spectators cheered him frenetically in the finish area – the deserved reward for a unique performance by an extraordinary personality.
Men’s competition on Saturday
Nikic started on Thursday in a slot for athletes with disabilities as part of the amateur race. Shortly before that, at 6.25 a.m. local time, the women’s professional competition had started and was won by outsider Chelsea Sodaro from the USA. The German Anne Haug was third ahead of her compatriot Philipp.
The men begin their competition on Saturday at 18:25 CEST. You can follow the race here in the live ticker.