It has not been the most conventional week of snooker for former world champion Luca Brecel as he shifts his focus from the table to Ironman.
The Belgian, who won the sport’s most coveted prize in 2023, has been travelling to and from the Spanish island of Majorca while competing in the Northern Ireland Open to continue Ironman training on his non-playing days.
This unorthodox approach meant he arrived just hours before his first-round win over He Guoqiang on Sunday, left again, and flew back into Northern Ireland on Tuesday night prior to his 4-1 defeat to China’s Pang Junxu at the Waterfront Hall on Wednesday.
The Ironman triathlon includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile cycle ride and a 26.2-mile run, and Brecel is aiming to race in competition in 2028.
“It [the Ironman triathlon] is a really big ambition of mine – some people think it’s a joke but I’m really serious about it,” Brecel told BBC Sport NI.
“That’s the main focus and Majorca is a good environment to train, a lot of the pro cyclists go out there.
“I’m going to focus on cycling and running for the next two years and then I’ll pick up swimming.”