LAST UPDATE | 21 Aug 2023
THE GOVERNING BODY of triathlons in Ireland has said its officials told the organisers of the Cork Ironman event, which saw two participants die yesterday, that the race could not be sanctioned before it started.
Triathlon Ireland said its officials carried out a water safety assessment yesterday and informed the organisers in Youghal that the race couldn’t be sanctioned because of “adverse conditions”.
Darren Coombes, CEO Triathlon Ireland, said:
“Triathlon Ireland is reeling from the news that Ivan Chittenden and Brendan Wall, athletes in the Ironman Cork event in Youghal, tragically died yesterday morning while participating in the race. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ivan’s and Brendan’s loved ones. The triathlon community is a very close community and this loss has had a devastating effect on all of us.
“Triathlon Ireland is the National Governing Body for triathlon in Ireland, a role which includes providing sanction for club and commercial races to proceed. In our almost 40 year history, the sport in Ireland has an impeccable safety record.
“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, Triathlon Ireland Technical Officials confirmed to the race organisers that it was not possible to sanction the race.
“As there is an investigation ongoing, at this stage it would not be appropriate for us to make any further comment only to state that Triathlon Ireland will provide any assistance that the authorities require.
“Finally, we reiterate our deepest condolences to the families of Ivan Chittenden and Brendan Wall.”
Earlier today Ironman put out a statement, in which it claimed that with all events, the company’s utmost priority is “the safety of our athletes”.
A spokesperson said the weather conditions for yesterday’s event were “monitored carefully.”
The spokesperson for Ironman said:
“With all Ironman events, our utmost priority is the safety of our athletes and all others involved in the event. The weather conditions were monitored carefully over the Ironman Ireland, Cork and Ironman 70.3 Ireland, Cork triathlon weekend, with the Ironman 70.3 triathlon being rescheduled to take place on 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.
“Due to the prevailing weather conditions, a decision was made, however, to shorten the distance of the swim as a further precaution to ensure that the significant water safety assets – such as kayaks, lifeguards and medical boats – could be concentrated over a smaller area while also allowing swimmers the ability to swim with the help of a more favourable current and incoming tide after the first 100m.
“Our thoughts continue to be with the family and friends of the two athletes who passed. We are providing ongoing assistance to their families and we will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time.”
The two men who died during the Ironman competition in Youghal have been named locally.
The men had been taking part in the swim portion of the event when they separately got into difficulties. They were removed from the water and pronounced dead by medical personnel.
The competitors have been named locally as 64-year-old Ivan Chittenden from Toronto, Canada, who was taking part in the event with friends, and Brendan Wall, who is in his mid-40s and originally from Co Meath but was living in Solihull in the UK.
The Office of the State Pathologist has been informed and postmortem examinations are due to be carried out today at Cork University Hospital.
The swimmers were among several thousand competitors who entered the water at Claycastle Beach. Some were competing in the 70.3 mile half triathlon whilst others were taking part in the full 226.3 km full race.
The 70.3 mile event had to be postponed on Saturday in the aftermath of Storm Betty. It was rescheduled for Sunday along with the main Ironman event.
Minister for Finance Michael McGrath has said that it is vitally important that a full investigation be completed into the deaths of two competitors.
Speaking in Cork today, McGrath described the passing of Ivan Chittenden and Brendan Wall as a “terrible tragedy.”
“My heart goes out to the families of the two persons who tragically lost their lives in Youghal yesterday,” he said.
“I know that Ironman Ireland will, of course, be carrying out their own investigation to establish the full circumstances of what happened and, of course, the post mortems will take place today and that will feed into the coroner’s court hearing eventually into this.
“But it is a terrible, terrible tragedy – it is clear that the conditions were particularly challenging in the water from reading the testimony of many of the other participants.”
McGrath said he was conscious of the sensitivities around the deaths of two participants in the events. However, he stressed that questions need to be “comprehensively answered” in connection with the tragedy.
“I am very conscious that two people have just died yesterday. First and foremost our thoughts and prayers are with the families who must be in a terrible state of shock and mourning at this time.
“But of course when two people lose their lives in circumstances such as this, it is important that the full facts of what happened are established and that any questions that are being asked are comprehensively answered.”
He said he has no doubt the organisers of the event will conduct a comprehensive investigation and that Cork Co Council as a lead sponsor of the event will want a full account of what happened as well.
“It may be that Water Safety Ireland (WSI) will also be asking questions and wish to fully understand the facts and the circumstances of what happened. It is such a terrible tragedy.”
Fine Gael councillor Sinead Sheppard of Fine Gael was in Youghal to cheer on her husband Eamonn who was taking part in the sporting event.
Speaking yesterday, she said that she heard of the separate deaths of the men half way through the day.
“It’s just so sad because no one ever thinks it is going to be them. You are holding your family a little bit tighter. The swim was well over and we were in the cycle section when the news just got around,” she said.
“Everybody is absolutely shocked. Thousands of people come out for an event like this. The atmosphere is normally so joyful. It is a bit quieter now. People are celebrating but at the back of your mind you are thinking somebody has lost their lives.”
Sheppard, who hails from Cobh, said that most people who completed the event had mixed feelings about how to celebrate once the news of the deaths came through.
“You just think to yourself I am here with my family today on what is meant to be a celebration but all you can keep thinking about in the back of your head is that there is other families here that thought they were going to be celebrating and now there is tragedy. I can’t even believe it.
“For their families we are thinking of them. The atmosphere is a little bit flat. Of course it is because everyone is thinking that it could have been their families in the water.”
One competitor, who declined to be named, said that he heard fellow participants shouting for help from the water but that he didn’t realise the extent of the tragedy which had occurred until he completed the event.
Stephen Lynch from Bandon in West Cork took part in the full Ironman event and found out about the fatalities afterwards.
“When you are in the race you don’t realise (anything is happening). It could have been anybody. I suppose it was challenging going out (at the start of the swim). It was okay the rest of the way,” he said.
“The swim started here (on the beach). The tide was in and (we) went out at an angle to an orange buoy so we were facing the waves. So that was a difficult part. It (what has happened) is hard for the people organising it too. “
Lynch was competing in his second Ironman event. He said that it was a “challenging” day.
“What happened to those men is desperately sad. There was a guy telling me that they were at an event like this in Lanzarote and it happened over there. The water can be unforgiving.”
Irish couple Aoife and Nigel Travers, who are now based in Perth, but are originally from Castleknock in Dublin participated in the event.
Nigel said that he knew of a a person dying in an Ironman event in France a couple of weeks ago and that the believed that there was a fatality at a similar event in Germany. The couple extended their condolences to the families of the deceased.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland this morning, Fianna Fáil councillor and mayor of Cork County Frank O’Flynn said that what happened was a “tragedy” and a “very sad occasion”.
“I was in Youghal as mayor of Cork County. It was a very, very sad occasion. It put a dampener on the day and what is normally a very successful event,” he said.
Asked whether the event should have continued following the deaths of the men, O’Flynn said it was “a hard one to call” and that the organisers took a decision to reduce the length of the swim before the event began.
“Afterwards it’s much easier to make the call. It’s a worldwide event, there’s quite a lot of organisation that goes into it but at the end of the day, safety is paramount and the fact that they did reduce the length of the swim, it was at that stage they thought that would make it much safer because they are very very conscious of the safety.”
He said that many competitors were upset following the event after finding out what occurred.
He also paid tribute to the Gardaí, who were present at the event, and medical personnel, and expressed his condolences to the deceased’s family and friends.
In a statement the organisers for Ironman said that they “were deeply saddened to confirm the death of two participants.”
“During the swim portion of Sunday’s race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognising the athletes were in need of assistance.
“We share our greatest sympathies with the family and friends of the athletes and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time.”
Cork County Council also offered its condolences following the “tragic loss” of the two participants.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of the athletes at this incredibly difficult time. Our thoughts are with those who have been affected, and we are currently offering every assistance required to the Ironman Group and all those impacted.
“We wish to express our gratitude to the response agencies involved, including our dedicated Fire and Emergency personnel, for their unwavering efforts during this this difficult time.”
Around 3,000 athletes have been competing across the Ironman 70.3 Ireland, Cork and full distance Ironman Ireland races.
With reporting from Olivia Kelleher.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say