Bad scenes at Ironman: One dead, one seriously injured

The accidental death of a motorcycle pilot overshadows the Ironman European Championships in Hamburg. The driver of a support motorcycle was killed on Sunday in a head-on collision with a triathlon participant on the bike course.

June 04, 2023

From: dpa

The participant was seriously injured, but as things stand, his life is not in danger. The cameraman on the motorcycle was slightly injured and, like the triathlete, was taken to the hospital. The ARD canceled their live broadcast.

The accident happened 2:25 hours after takeoff on a straight stretch parallel to a dike. The collision occurred for reasons that are still unknown. “The background to the collision – whether it was a medical condition for the motorcyclist – is purely speculative,” said the head of operations ARD. “It is actually almost impossible to explain whether there was any evasive behavior because it is a straight route. Actually an unspectacular route for this area.”

After the accident site was cordoned off, there was the absurd scene that the triathletes had to carry their bikes past over the dike. Despite the incident, the race was not stopped. The Hamburg organizers said the decision would be made in the USA. The World Triathlon Corporation, which owns the Ironman brand and markets it worldwide, is based in Tampa (Florida).