Norwegian triathlon champion Iden visits central Taiwan temple again

挪威鐵人三項冠軍伊登再次拜訪台灣中部宮廟

Iden visited the temple for the second time to thank the gods for their blessing


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Gustav Iden, the Norwegian triathlete who has won nine triathlons wearing a Changhua temple hat with the Mandarin characters "埔鹽順澤宮" (Puyan Shunze Temple) since 2019, visited the temple on Sunday (Dec. 4) for the second time to thank the gods for their blessing, according to a video.

Iden’s image went viral in 2019 after he won the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France while donning the baseball hat he noticed lying on the side of a road in Japan. He picked it up and wore it at the Nice event, which also started his winning streak.

Iden and a compatriot, Kristian Blummenfelt, the Tokyo Olympics triathlon gold medalist, accepted the sponsors’ invitation to visit Taiwan, CNA reported.

Before Iden and Blummenfelt arrived at Shunze Temple, people from near and far had already crowded the inside and outside of the temple, expecting to see Iden. The Changhua police especially dispatched officers to the temple to maintain order at the scene, according to CNA.

When Iden and others stepped out of the car, the crowd rushed to shake hands with him. Iden said that it was crazy to see so many people welcoming him at Shunze Temple. He said when he first visited Taiwan in 2019, it didn’t cross his mind that his relationship with Taiwan would grow stronger and that he was happy to come to Taiwan again after the epidemic.

Iden pointed out that this time he would stay in Taiwan longer, so he would have more time to explore Taiwan’s food and culture. For him and Blumenfeld, coming to Taiwan was a rare and unforgettable experience, he said, and he especially wanted to come to Shunze Temple to thank the gods for bringing him victories.

Accompanied by Changhua County Commissioner Wang Huei-mei (王惠美), Iden and Blumenfeld entered the main hall of Shunze Temple, presented flowers and fruits to the gods, and prayed for their blessing. The temple also specially presented the championship caps printed with the word "Taiwan" to Iden and Blumenfeld, and wished them success in future competitions.

After finishing his trip to the temple Sunday, Iden will go to Guashan Village in the Baguashan Great Buddha Scenic Area to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Changhua, per CNA.