An Ironman Wisconsin competitor dies after he fell ill during the bike portion of Sunday’s triathlon
CROSS PLAINS, Wis. (AP) — A man competing in Ironman Wisconsin fell ill Sunday during the bike portion of the grueling triathlon and later died at a hospital, officials said Monday.
Ironman Wisconsin said in a statement posted on Facebook that the competitor, whose name was not released, needed medical attention during the bike portion and died at a local hospital after being assisted by a race staff member and an off-duty police officer.
The Dane County Sheriff’s Office said the man who died was a 51-year-old from Madison, Wisconsin, who had suffered “a medical event” in the town of Cross Plains.
Ironman Wisconsin said in its Facebook post that it thanks “event personnel and first responders who worked to provide the athlete with medical support.”
“We share our deepest condolences with the family and friends of the athlete and will continue to offer them our support as they go through what is a very difficult time,” Ironman Wisconsin added.
The full 140.6-mile (226-kilometer) Ironman contested Sunday included a 2.4-mile (3.9-kilometer) swim, a 112-mile (180-kilometer) bike ride and a 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) run.
Two athletes died in 2019 after being pulled from Lake Monona during the swim portion of the Ironman 70.3 Wisconsin triathlon. That race was half of the full 140.6-mile Ironman contested Sunday.