When we asked Sebi Kienle who was the next generation German uber-athlete, he said: ‘‘Maurice Clavel, watch that guy!”
We did, and all loved his rocking red-carpet moves when he podiumed at IRONMAN African Champs, and even more so his TV aero tucks leading the bike at Kona in spectacular style.
Paul Ingpen chatted to the fun guy in the Hobie Beach rock pools and shortly after his Kona soap opera…
Q | Tell us about your childhood, where you grew up, how you got into swimming and why you decided to start triathlon as a teenager? You look so happy racing, why do you love the sport
so much?
I grew up in Offenburg,a small town near the French border. Getting into swimming at the age of 11 was the best thing I could have done. It was a lot of fun, I loved it, and I trained with the squad as much as possible. Later, at 17, swimming got boring and my dad told me about an interesting sport called triathlon. I decided to try it out and went to the local triathlon club. Same attitude, different sport. I didn’t think about racing, I just wanted to be the fastest guy in the training squad. I really love endurance sport and triathlon and the variety it offers. It means I don’t get bored.
Q | You’ve mentioned that you enjoy the off season, as you use it to reflect on your year and where you can change or improve. What are you hoping to work on in 2020, anything you feel you could have done better this year?
I use the first part of the off season to chill out and relax. But after a while, I do reflect. My main goal for 2020 is data-based training. Until now, I haven’t been doing much data wise.
Q | You came from an ITU background and have been successful at both 70.3 and IRONMAN distances. What’s your favourite distance and type of course, and preferred climate for racing?
What I really love is the Olympic non-drafting race. Unfortunately there is no series anymore. This distance allows you to go all out, from start to finish, and that’s what I love. When I was younger, I had trouble dealing with the heat, but as I got older and more used to racing, I started loving the hot and humid conditions more.
Source | Triathlon SBR Magazine
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