Ironman has announced the Austrian trio of Georg Hochegger, Helge Lorenz and Stefan Petschnig will be inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame Wednesday.
“Georg, Helge and Stefan are visionaries in our sport and helped elevate Ironman globally. Their races in Europe and South Africa were not only popular for regional athletes but became ‘must do’ races for triathletes from around the world,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of Ironman. “This induction is a testament to their hard work and dedication to Ironman.”
Founded in 1993, the Ironman Hall of Fame was created to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the growth of the race series.
In just under a decade, the three triathletes helped design challenging and popular courses throughout Europe and South Africa.
Before creating their first race TriMania, held in 1998 in Austria, Hochegger, Lorenz and Petschnig were accomplished athletes in their own right. Lorenz represented Austria at the ITU World Championship in Huntsville, Canada, where he finished 28th in the elite men’s race in 1:52:33.
After Hochegger returned to Austria following a stint as a New York City jewelry designer, he competed in the first-ever Ironman Europe event in 1994.
Petschnig, a three-time Austrian swim champion, spent nine years in the Austrian Army and is a two-time Ironman finisher.
“We’re proud of creating something that we never envisioned would grow the way it did,” Lorenz said. “Your heart is always part of this. Being in the Ironman Hall of Fame is an honor — I really think we made a difference by organizing these events.”