PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A 21-year-old Florida man has made history as the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon, which includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run in a single day.
The Special Olympics connected Chris Nikic with Ironman competitor Dan Grieb, who helped train him.
Florida race officials required Nikic to be tethered to Grieb in the ocean Saturday for safety reasons. Grieb also rode behind Nikic on the bike course and stayed near him on the run. But Nikic did all the work on his own.
It's official! @SpecialOlympics Florida athlete @ChrisNikic is an IRONMAN 🏃♂️ 🚴 🏊♂️
— Special Olympics (@SpecialOlympics) November 8, 2020
Chris made history as the 1st person with Down syndrome to finish the full triathlon. His feat landed him in the Guinness World Records & inspired so many around the world! #Choosetoinclude #IMFL pic.twitter.com/OiiqnDSbEu
He completed a practice, half-triathlon earlier this year in 8 hours, 25 minutes.
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