Lew Friedland and Peter Reid to Be Inducted Into IRONMAN Hall of Fame

TAMPA, Fla. (September 22, 2016) – IRONMAN, a Wanda Sports Holding company, announced today that former IRONMAN President Lew Friedland and Canadian triathlon great Peter Reid, will be inducted into the IRONMAN^® Hall of Fame. The ceremony will be held on October 5th during race week at the 2016 IRONMAN^® World Championship triathlon, in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i.

“We are grateful for the contributions both Lew and Peter have made to IRONMAN. They deserve to join the ranks of IRONMAN’s elite,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of IRONMAN. “Lew’s leadership and passion for IRONMAN was pivotal in creating a platform for international growth. His fingerprints can be seen throughout the company and our success as we continue to grow. Peter’s determination and will to win was legendary. He has helped to show that IRONMAN success is as much mental as it is physical.”

Lew Friedland was captivated by IRONMAN at the IRONMAN World Championship in 1989, when he watched the “Iron War” between Mark Allen and Dave Scott. After working with IRONMAN in various capacities, Friedland took over as President, leading the company from 1998 until 2004. During this time he played an integral role in both domestic and international growth of the company. Historic and popular events such as IRONMAN Lake Placid, IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene, IRONMAN Arizona and IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside were all launched during Friedland’s tenure, in addition to other favorites in South Africa, the United Kingdom, France, Malaysia and Korea.

“It is an honor to be recognized and inducted into the IRONMAN Hall of Fame,” said Lew Friedland. “Being part of building IRONMAN into the worldwide sport leader that it has become is one of the highlights of my business career. Having a spot in the Hall of Fame with such elite company is truly humbling.”

Peter Reid, originally from Quebec, Canada, boasts a resume with ten IRONMAN triathlon wins during his career as a professional triathlete. He won his first IRONMAN World Championship in 1998, later capturing two more IRONMAN World Championship titles in 2000 and 2003. In all, Reid finished in the top three at the IRONMAN World Championship an impressive seven times during the course of his professional racing career. Reid was inducted into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame in 2010, the Canada Sports Hall of Fame in 2011, the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 and, most recently, the Triathlon Canada Hall of Fame this past August.

“To be inducted into the IRONMAN Hall of Fame is by far the biggest surprise and thrill of my career,” said Peter Reid. “I never thought of myself as a talented athlete but knew that I was never afraid to put in the work, and this amazing honor proves that hard work does pay off and was noticed by the triathlon community. To be inducted while surrounded by my peers who understand what IRONMAN means is incredible, and I am privileged to join the company of highly esteemed individuals that I admire and continue to respect so much.”

Founded in 1993, the IRONMAN Hall of Fame was created to honor individuals, like Friedland and Reid, who have made outstanding contributions to the growth of the world’s most famous endurance race series.

Friedland and Reid join a prestigious list of remarkable individuals honored not only for incredible athletic achievements, but also for what they have given to the sport of triathlon and IRONMAN.

IRONMAN Hall of Fame:

For more information about the IRONMAN Hall of Fame and its members, visit www.ironman.com/hof. The IRONMAN Hall of Fame video can be viewed on the IRONMAN YouTube channel located here. For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Media-related inquiries should be directed to press@ironman.com.

About IRONMAN

A Wanda Sports Holdings company, IRONMAN operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, Iron Girl^®, IRONKIDS^®, six of nine International Triathlon Union World Triathlon Series races, road cycling events including the UCI Velothon Majors Series, mountain bike races, premier marathons and other multisport races. IRONMAN’s events, together with all other Wanda Sports Holdings events, provide more than 680,000 participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. The iconic IRONMAN^® Series of events is the largest participation sports platform in the world. Since the inception of the IRONMAN^® brand in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines at the world’s most challenging endurance races. Beginning as a single race, IRONMAN has grown to become a global sensation with more than 260 events across 42 countries. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.

About Wanda Sports Holding

Wanda Sports Holding is the world’s leading sports business entity, founded to capture the opportunities in the global sports industry and to contribute to the prosperous international sports landscape – in three key areas: 1) Spectator Sports (media & marketing business), 2) Participation Sports (active lifestyle business), 3) Services (digital, production and service business). Led by President & CEO Philippe Blatter, Wanda Sports Holding incorporates the international sports marketing company Infront Sports & Media, the iconic endurance brand IRONMAN, and Wanda Sports China. The headquarters are in Guangzhou, China.

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