Athlete dies during swim portion of Ironman Western Australia endurance race

A man has died during the swim component of the Ironman Western Australia endurance race held on 1st December in Busselton, located in southwest Western Australia. The athlete was pulled from the choppy waters during the race but pronounced dead on Tuesday.

More than 3,500 entrants signed up for the 20th anniversary of the renowned race to compete in the 3.8km swim around the iconic Busselton Jetty; 180km cycle leg along a flat and fast course; and then a 42.2km run along the Busselton foreshore in front of an excited crowd. Over half of the entrants travelled from out of state to attend.

The swim portion of the race was planned with safety in mind, with organisers claiming they chose a path for swimmers to stay closer to shore, meaning less exposure to the weather and better swim conditions.

However, comments from race participants posted on social media included “Hardest I’ve encountered”; “The swim condition was so tough”; “Super choppy waters. Waves were that big you can’t see the race buoys at times.”

Event organisers of Ironman Western Australia released a statement following the tragic incident: “We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing of a race participant from Sunday’s triathlon. The athlete required medical attention during the swim portion of the race, with event medical personnel providing support onsite before transporting them to hospital. Sadly, the athlete has since passed away. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the athlete’s family, whom we will continue to offer our support. We appreciate the quick work of onsite water safety and medical personnel who provided the athlete with medical support.”

Since 2004, Ironman Western Australia has been a ‘bucket-list race’ for athletes all over the world. Taking place in  Busselton – the race is renowned for being the place to go for a personal best with one of the flattest and fastest on the global circuit.

Image. Credit: Ironman Western Australia Instagram