The tragedy in which two men lost their lives in the Youghal triathlon last weekend has raised many questions. Unfortunately, it is not clear how or when they might be answered. In particular, the sequence of events leading to the swim section of the event going ahead in rough waters remains unclear. The families of the two men who died, Brendan Wall and Ivan Chittenden, deserve a clear account of what happened. And this is also required to ensure that the correct decisions are made during future events.
In the wake of the tragedy a dispute has broken out between Triathlon Ireland, the national body supported by public funds, and Ironman, the US-owned company that organised the event. Triathlon Ireland says it did not sanction the event due to the rough water. Ironman says this was not communicated to it until after the event, a point disputed by Triathlon Ireland.
A clear chronology is needed. What was communicated between the two bodies and the gardaí present at the event? What were competitors told or not told? A number of participants have said that sea conditions were dangerous and posed challenges to safety boats as well as swimmers. The organisers say that those in difficulty were quickly helped. Again, clarity is needed here. The postmortem results, when they become available, will also provide important information.
As a coroner’s inquest could be months away – and will have a particular focus – some way is needed to establish the facts more quickly. Ideally, this would start with clearer details from both Triathlon Ireland and Ironman. Some further independent inquiry may well be needed and Sport Ireland, which oversees publicly funded bodies such as Triathlon Ireland, may have a role here. So far it has remained silent.
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Endurance sports events have taken off in recent years and offer positive experiences to thousands, improving their fitness and health. They are events to be encouraged and nurtured, and they carry significant tourism benefits.
Unfortunately, such events can never be risk-free, no matter what safety protocols are in place. That is in the nature of mass participation events . However, all that is possible must be done to protect those who take part.
As participant numbers grow, it becomes ever more important to have clear safety protocols. This is is particularly important in events like the Ironman, which involve cooperation between a State-funded body, a local authority and a private business. It needs to be crystal clear who decides what and how this is communicated to participants. There are no metrics which can tell precisely when the sea is safe to swim in. But there are people with many years’ experience who can generally call it correctly and they must be listened to.