© Getty Images for IRONMANThe Ironman race was originally postponed for the weather.
Cork County Council said it was "deeply saddened over the tragic loss of two race participants" during the event in Youghal in southwest Ireland.
The race was originally postponed for the weather. Getty Images for IRONMAN
Irish broadcaster RTE said the two men, one in his mid-60s and one in his mid-40s, died in separate incidents during the 1.9 kilometer (1.2 mile) swimming portion of the competition.
The event had originally been scheduled for Saturday but was pushed back one day because of severe weather conditions.
"During the swim portion of Sunday's race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognizing the athletes were in need of assistance," organizer Ironman Ireland said in a statement on Facebook.
"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."
Both men were pronounced dead at the scene, local media reported.
They were competing in a so-called half Ironman event, which also features a 90 kilometer (56 mile) bike course and a 21.1 kilometer (13.1 mile) run.
Reader Comments
I can't even count how many Triathalons I've been to over 30 years including stupid dangerous ones. Nobody, not a single person, has ever dropped dead.
Not saying that it is not possible for it to happen, but I am not aware of this type of 'injury'.
If they were drowning as expressed by LadyRan, water support is always within a distance to apply resuscitative procedure within a short enough time to support life.
There was something else to effect death in the swimming leg in an event of fast high heart rate, and that would depend on the athletes fitness level, and if you are doing an Ironman or Half Ironman, you didn't get off the lounge/couch last week or month.
The shot had done a thorough job, and thus their time was up.
Two athletes drown during Ironman Triathlon amid rough seas
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One participant, Keith O’Sullivan, told Newstalk he regretted competing as he was intimidated by the size of the waves and feared for his safety.To be honest, I shouldn’t have got into the water and I’m sorry I did. “I put my family through torture – my children and my wife were standing on the water’s edge at the time. I knew going out that I shouldn’t be doing it.
Ironman was not sanctioned by the governing body for triathlons in Ireland due to concerns about “adverse conditions”.
It is clear that the conditions were particularly challenging in the water from reading the testimony of many of the other participants.
I'm missing something here.
Nice of the media to report on the event but too much information might allow you to come to your own conclusions on how and why they died.
Can't have that.
I suppose not. The fully brainwashed 30% is surely seeing nothing wrong with the shots, at least according to my impressions.