IRONMAN have confirmed that a triathlete died following a bike crash at IRONMAN 70.3 Barcelona last weekend, after succumbing to their injuries at a nearby hospital hours after the incident.
The athlete, who has not been named, was involved in a crash on the bike course with another competitor at the event, who was also taken to hospital and later released with non-critical injuries.
IRONMAN events have also seen deaths at two other European events this year, with a bike collision at IRONMAN Hamburg resulting in a motorcycle operator passing away and, more recently, two athletes died at IRONMAN 70.3 Ireland.
Statement from IRONMAN
In a statement released by the race organisers, IRONMAN confirmed the death of a participant and the involvement of one other athlete, but gave no information on how the crash occurred or on which part of the course the incident happened.
“It is with our deepest regret to confirm the passing of a participant at the IRONMAN 70.3 Barcelona triathlon. During the bike portion of the race, two athletes were involved in a crash. One of the athletes suffered a significant medical event and received medical care on site before being transported to a nearby hospital where they continued to receive treatment. Despite best medical efforts, the athlete passed away a few hours later.
“We share our deepest condolences with the athlete’s family and friends and will continue to offer them our support at this difficult time. The other athlete, who was also transported to the hospital for evaluation and treatment was released with non-critical injuries. We wish them a full and speedy recovery.
“We thank the safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide both athletes with medical support. In respect of the family and athlete’s privacy, we will have no further comment.”
Racing to keep up: Is social media making us train harder?
