Iden hails impact of lucky Taiwanese hat at Collins Cup

Sporting greats are used to freebies but triathlon star Gustav Iden admits the lucky Taiwanese hat he found on the floor is his secret weapon at the PTO's Collins Cup. Norwegian Iden, the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) world No.2, picked up the black cap with gold writing at the Tokyo 2020 test event before deciding to wear it at the Nice Ironman in 2019 to stand out from his competitors who were clad head to toe in sponsored gear. Ad Iden raced to victory on that occasion and has reeled off a string of wins while wearing it since, the latest coming at the PTO's Canadian Open in Edmonton last month where he scooped the top $100,000 prize ahead of Olympic gold medallist Kristian Blummenfelt, his compatriot and training partner.

Triathlon‘Absolutely shocked!’ – Jewett stays with Hering and Haug in swim3 HOURS AGO Now, after helping Team Europe win the inaugural Collins Cup — triathlon's answer to golf's Ryder Cup — in 2021, Iden is back in Samorin and gunning for maximum points by finishing six minutes ahead of both Team USA's Matt Hanson and Team International's Jackson Laundry in the penultimate of 12 matches. «I hope the hat will help me get six points, which is always a huge challenge at the Collins Cup, last year it was me and [American] Taylor Knibb that managed to take the full pot,» said 26-year-old Iden. «If I'm able to do that tomorrow as well that would be huge, so I need all the help I can get.

I've never lost with the hat on. »I found it in Japan and started wearing it without knowing what it said, a bit risky but that's my lifestyle. It's the name of a temple in Taiwan.