Ironman responds to Triathlon Ireland statement, disputing the timeline of sanctioning decision

On Sunday two athletes, Ireland’s Brendan Wall and Canada’s Ivan Chittenden, died during the swim at  Ironman 70.3 Ireland. The tragic event has rocked the triathlon community.

Last night Triathlon Ireland CEO Darren Coombes appeared to be trying to distance his association from the incident when he issued a statement saying that “Due to the adverse conditions on the day, Triathlon Ireland Technical Officials confirmed to the race organizers that it was not possible to sanction the race.”

Updated: Triathlon Ireland says it couldn’t sanction Ironman Ireland, Cork due to water conditions

Ironman responded to that statement with one of its own, pointing out that it wasn’t until “Several hours after the swim was completed … (that officials) communicated to the onsite IRONMAN Ireland officials that they would not approve the sanctioning for the event.”

You can read Ironman’s full statement below.

We reached out to Triathlon Ireland through the crisis PR firm it has hired, Fuzion Communications, who clarified Coombes’ statement:

For the Ironman Cork event, in line with normal practice, Triathlon Ireland Technical Officials attended before the start of the race to review the conditions and carry out a water safety assessment. Due to adverse conditions on the day, BEFORE THE START OF THE RACE Triathlon Ireland Technical Officials confirmed to the race organisers that it was not possible to sanction the race. 

According to reports from those at the event, Triathlon Ireland officials continued to work at the event until the event was well underway. Athletes have also questioned why, if Triathlon Ireland wasn’t sanctioning the event, they weren’t notified before they started so they would be able to make a decision about getting in the water.

“I never saw TI (Triathlon Ireland) try stop the race when watching live nor did i see them tell their licence holders they didn’t sanction it to make an informed decision about whether to enter the water or not,” Connor Sheridan posted on Facebook.

We’ve also reached out to Fusion Communications for clarification about the one-day sanctioning fees that would have been collected by Triathlon Ireland for the race.

Canadian triathlete dies during swim at Ironman 70.3 Ireland, Cork

Below is a video of the start of the race by Tri Coach Bjorn.

According to Ironman, on race morning “Ironman Ireland officials and the specific on-swim safety team carried out all standard safety protocol checks that are completed at every race and determined water conditions were safe for the swim to take place. While conditions were improved from Saturday, out of an abundance of safety, it was decided to shorten the swim course for both races.”

The full-distance swim was shortened to 1.9 km, and the 70.3 swim was also shortened. 

A statement from IRONMAN following IRONMAN Ireland, Cork and IRONMAN 70.3 Ireland, Cork

First and foremost, our priority remains providing ongoing support and care to the athletes’ families as they go through this very difficult time.

While IRONMAN events are physically challenging, the safety and security of athletes is the most important operational element for our events. IRONMAN has extensive and stringent, industry-leading safety guidelines and protocols, honed to the highest international standards, and implemented at events worldwide. 

Weather conditions for this past weekend’s IRONMAN Ireland, Cork and IRONMAN 70.3 Ireland, Cork were monitored carefully. On Saturday morning IRONMAN Ireland officials and swim safety experts declared the swim course unsuitable for racing and decided to reschedule the IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon for Sunday, alongside IRONMAN Ireland, Cork to provide a safer race for athletes.

On the morning of Sunday 20 August, IRONMAN Ireland officials and the specific on-swim safety team carried out all standard safety protocol checks that are completed at every race and determined water conditions were safe for the swim to take place. While conditions were improved from Saturday, out of an abundance of safety, it was decided to shorten the swim course for both races. 

IRONMAN works in collaboration with National Federations around the world as we organize over 150 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events annually. As such, federation representatives were present during the event and performed their duties. Several hours after the swim was completed, they communicated to the onsite IRONMAN Ireland officials that they would not approve the sanctioning for the event.

Our thoughts continue to be with the family and friends of the two athletes who passed.