A government minister has expressed his concern after the national triathlon governing body said it had not sanctioned a swim race in Cork where two competitors were killed, reports Breaking News.
Evan Chittenden, 60, from Toronto, Canada, and Brendan Wall, 40, who lived in the UK but was originally from County Meath, died during an Ironman competition on Sunday.
They died during the swim section of a triathlon at Claycastle Beach in Youggle.
The head of Triathlon Ireland said an investigation was ongoing.
Chief executive Darren Coombs said the organization was struggling after the deaths of men competing in Ironman Cork.
“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,” reports Breaking News.
On Tuesday, Mr. O’Brien referred to the event as an “awful tragedy” and expressed his condolences to the families of the men, adding: “Unquestionably, there are very serious issues that need to be addressed. I noted the statement of Triathlon Ireland yesterday evening with interest and indeed with some concern. There seems to be a difference between what Ironman Ireland are saying and what Triathlon Ireland are now saying. We want to get to the truth of that. Fundamentally, for events like this that thousands and thousands of people enjoy right across the country – it’s a very popular pursuit for people – safety has to be at the centre of that and questions will need to be answered,” reports Breaking News.
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