A man died after drowning in choppy waters during the swimming leg of the challenging Ironman endurance race. The athlete was competing in the Busselton Ironman, in the southwest tip of Western Australia.
In a statement, the event organisers said "the athlete required medical attention during the swim portion of the race, with event medical personnel providing support onsite before transporting them to hospital." The athlete was pronounced dead on Tuesday.
Event Involved 90Km Cycling, 21Km Run and 1.9Km Swim
Described as a "fast, flat course in the scenic town of Busselton", the Ironman event involved two laps of a 90km cycling course, 21.km run, and 1.9km swim portion. The 226.3km event garnered over 3,500 entrants, with over half travelling from out of state to attend.
The swim portion of the race was planned with safety in mind, with organisers claiming they chose a path in which "swimmers stay closer to shore, meaning less exposure to the weather and better swim conditions."
Fellow Competitors, Commentator Express Condolences
Ironman commentator Pete Murray expressed his condolences, saying it was "such sad news to hear for the Ironman family". Fellow athletes also took to Facebook to share their own condolences, "my heart goes out to the family," wrote a cyclist.
"Never think this will happen to you, 'til it does."
"Condolences," said another competitor. "The swim condition was so tough."
Despite this, another athlete described the swim as "the hardest I've encountered."
"Super choppy waters," he said. "Waves were that big you can't see the race buoys at times."
Recent Deaths in Endurance Sports
The news comes weeks after a 41-year-old woman died during the swim leg at an Ironman event in Barcelona, Spain. In August, a Serbian CrossFit athlete's body was pulled out from the water following the 800-metre swimming portion of the Fort Worth, Texas, event, as previously reported. Earlier this year, another athlete died during the swimming heats at an Ironman competition in Salem, Oregon.
