Two Athletes Die During Ironman Event Delayed by Storm

Two athletes died during an Ironman competition in Ireland, after the event was delayed for just over 24 hours because of Storm Betty.

The competitors tragically passed away in two separate incidents during the swimming element of the event in County Cork.

Organizers had postponed a number of Ironman events after the area was battered by the storm on Friday, leaving some parts of the course unusable due to debris caused by the high winds.

It was the 1.9-kilometer (1.18-mile) sea part of the course in Youghal that proved to be treacherous, with this element being shortened due to the conditions in the first place.

The athletes who died were named as 44-year-old Brendan Wall from Ireland, who lived near Birmingham, England, and 65-year-old Ivan Chittendon, who was from Toronto in Canada.

It's understood that another athlete required medical attention during the competition, which also has cycling and running elements to it, following the swim in the sea.

An Ironman spokesperson posted a statement on the competition's Facebook page, confirming the tragic events.

They wrote: "We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of two race participants at the Ironman 70.3 Ireland, Cork 2023.

"During the swim portion of Sunday's race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognizing the athletes were in need of assistance.

"We share our greatest sympathies with the families and friends of the athletes and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time.

"We thank the safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide the athletes with medical assistance."

Just as the swimming event was commencing at 7 a.m., one athlete had a medical emergency, while a second athlete was later discovered to be unresponsive along the swimming course route.

One case is being investigated as a possible cardiac arrest, while the second is being examined as a possible drowning linked to a potential underlying medical condition.

A spokesperson for the Gardaí (Ireland's police) said: "Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of an incident in Youghal Co. Cork where two men have died at a sporting event on Sunday morning (August 20).

"Two men, aged 40s and 60s, were removed from the water by emergency services. They were pronounced deceased by medical personnel. The coroner has been notified."

Newsweek has contacted Ironman Ireland for further comment via email.

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