World snooker champion Luca Brecel ‘really serious’ about shock career change ‘people think is a joke’

FORMER World Snooker Champion Luca Brecel has revealed he is "serious" about trying his hand at a new sport.

The 29-year-old has been competing in the Northern Ireland Open this week.

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On his non-playing days, Brecel has been travelling to and from the Spanish island of Majorca to practice for his next venture.

The snooker star is training for an Ironman Triathlon - a long distance race that includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile cycle and a 26.2-mile run.

He arrived in Belfast on Sunday just a matter of hours before his opening match against He Guoqiang and left immediately after.

Brecel then returned to Northern Ireland last night ahead of his 4-1 defeat to China's Pang Junxu this morning.

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With his training in full swing, the Belgian Bullet hopes to race an Ironman Triathlon in 2028.

He told : "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.

"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."

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He continued: "A Belgian, Frederik van Lierde, won the Ironman World Championship in 2013 so I might ask him to coach me a little bit. That's on the cards.

"For me being in Majorca is not really about the sunshine, it's about the temperature and it's a good environment to train.

"It's not about lying on the beach, I haven't seen the beach yet, it's all about training.

"I wouldn't have practised anyway if I had stayed here in Belfast but it's not always like this.

"Normally I'd just be at home, practise my hours every day, but I prefer it like this sometimes during the season, so it's not always the same."