Triathlon in Hamburg
“It was a farce”: the organizer was criticized after the accident
The accident site of the triathlon in Hamburg. photo
© Georg Wendt/dpa
How did the fatal accident at the Hamburg Ironman come about? Athletes say: There were too many motorcycles on a track that was sometimes too narrow. Another triathlon has therefore already reacted.
After the fatal accident at the Ironman European Championships in Hamburg, the organizers of the major triathlon event are under massive criticism. The main accusation is that too many motorcycles on the course endangered the safety of the athletes.
“Unfortunately, the bike course was very crowded. It was therefore foreseeable that there could be accidents,” said German triathlon professional Timo Schaffeld. The Olympic champion and three-time Ironman European champion Jan Frodeno had already made a similar statement and described the route as a “farce”.
Speculations about Ironman future in Hamburg
For the time being, the organizer World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) did not comment specifically on the accident and its consequences and refers to his expression of condolences on Sunday afternoon. However, Hamburg State Councilor for Sport Christoph Holstein (SPD) told the German Press Agency about the “criticism from very prominent triathletes: They can classify it. And you have to take it seriously.” The “Hamburger Morgenpost” speculated on Monday that there could be no more Ironman in Hamburg in the future. The contract between the city and WTC expires in 2024.
However, the next major triathlon event in Hamburg will take place next month: the world championships over the sprint distance and the Olympic distance from July 13th to 16th. The World Triathlon Championship Series and the Ironman are different organizers and the two World Championship routes in July are also significantly shorter than the Ironman with its extreme sporting challenge of 3.8 kilometers of swimming, 180 kilometers of cycling and 42.2 kilometers of running. The two events can only be compared to a limited extent.
Nevertheless, the city wants to review its safety concept again after the accident on Sunday. “In view of the upcoming Triathlon World Championships in July, we will once again deal intensively with the subject of safety, which we do anyway with all the responsible authorities in Hamburg before every major event,” said Holstein.
At the Ironman, there was a head-on collision between a support motorcycle and an amateur triathlete on the bike course on Sunday. The police said that the 70-year-old motorcyclist died at the scene of the accident and the athlete (26) was seriously injured. The cameraman (50) on the motorcycle suffered a shock.
“Motorcycles were way too close”
The President of the German Triathlon Union at least defended the organizers against the accusation that the race had not been canceled after the death. “There were more than 2000 people on the route. If they had stopped the whole race now, it would have been relatively unpredictable, according to statements by the organizers responsible,” said Martin Engelhardt on Deutschlandfunk.
For many participants and observers, however, there is no question that the course of the race and the route were a cause of the accident. “The motorcycles were far too close. It was a farce. It was so incredibly tight with oncoming traffic. There are no motorcycles allowed,” criticized the German triathlon star Frodeno.
The accident happened on a straight stretch parallel to a dike. However, the scene of the accident was not far from a turning point in the race, which is why the already very narrow bike course was narrowed even further by athletes in oncoming traffic and the accompanying motorcycles.
The organizers of the famous long-distance triathlon in Roth, Franconia, therefore changed their safety concept even before the fatal accident in Hamburg. “Months ago, in cooperation with top athletes and representatives of the press, we decided to have far fewer motorcycles on the racetrack,” said managing director Felix Walchshöfer to Bayerischer Rundfunk with a view to his own race on June 25th. In Roth there are also “no out-and-back routes with oncoming traffic.” One tries to “always choose broad roads”.