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 cap 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 sent 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 did not cross his mind that his relationship with Taiwan would grow stronger and that he was happy to visit the nation again.
Iden said he would stay in Taiwan longer this time, so he would have more time to explore the food and culture. Coming to Taiwan was a rare and unforgettable experience for him and Blummenfelt, he said, and he especially wanted to come to Shunze Temple to thank the gods for bringing him victories.
Accompanied by Changhua County Magistrate 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 gave hats with "Taiwan" printed on them to Iden and Blumenfeld, and wished them success in future competitions.
After finishing his trip to the temple on Sunday, Iden went to Guashan Village in the Baguashan Great Buddha Scenic Area to enjoy the scenery of Changhua, per CNA.
