"Instant Kona slot" - Tom De Malsche in China

Tom De Malsche made an outstanding performance in the 70.3 Ironman at Liuzhou. He came second in the M45 category but, instead of dealing in WC 70.3 South Africa tickets, Liuzhou had 25 Kona slots for grabs. Even though he didn't plan for it, Tom didn't hesitate. "I always longed for another Kona qualification, the plan was to do so this summer at Lake Placid..."

"But now I have an instant Kona ticket," Tom tells us. "There were 25 Kona and 50 South Africa slots to be distributed, I took the second Kona slot in my AG, meaning I will be heading for Hawaii for the third year in a row..."

At the bar with Alistair

"Being mentioned in the same article as Alistair Brownlee is an honor," Tom continues, "but we have spend quite some time together in the bar of the hotel prior to the race. Alistair is very relaxed and apparently likes a glass of red wine. Besides, it is hard to grasp how decent the infrastructure at Liuzhou is. Swimming in a clean river, cycling on smooth asphalt, running on the banks of the river... Top organization, only a shame that Facebook is wonky..."

Original article on 3athlon.be by Hans Cleemput on 16/04/2018
Transaltion by @T0v3