Radio Taiwan International
Date: 16 October, 2019
By: John Van Trieste

It’s been around a month since Norwegian athlete Gustav Iden turned a hat from central Taiwan into a Norwegian athlete Gustav Iden is getting ready to come to Taiwan.viral sensation.

A surge of interest in the hat has proved a blessing to Changhua County, the place where the hat originated. As a way of expressing its thanks, the county government has now invited Iden to come and run in a local marathon- all expenses paid.

In September, Norwegian triathlete Gustav Iden won an Ironman event in France. Half a world away, in Taiwan, his victory caused a sensation.

He had, of course, pulled off a great feat of endurance. But in Taiwan, it was mostly what he was wearing on his head that attracted attention. Iden wore a hat emblazoned with the name of a temple in Changhua County.

He says he found the hat on a street in Japan, and decided to keep it as a kind of good luck charm.
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