Motorcyclist Dies At Ironman Triathlon After Collision With Competitor

Published|Updated

Tragedy struck an Ironman triathlon taking place in Germany on Sunday after a motorcyclist passed away following a collision with a competitor.

According to police in Hamburg, the 70-year-old motorcyclist who was carrying a camera operator collided with a 26-year-old triathlete when both lanes of the street were being used by competitors.

"At 36 (kilometers) (22 miles) of the IRONMAN Hamburg bike course, a motorcycle race vehicle, carrying an official race photographer, was involved in a collision with a race participant," Ironman organizers said in an earlier statement.

"It is with our deepest regret to confirm the passing of the motorcycle operator from a significant medical event. Our thoughts and care are with the family whom we will support as we are able while they go through this difficult time."

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A motorcyclist died after colliding with a triathlon competitor at an Ironman event in Germany. (Photo by Alexander Koerner/Getty Images for Ironman)

The incident was caught on live coverage and showed athletes going around the motorcyclist who was in the middle of the road.

"We are devastated by this tragic accident," a statement from race organizers read. "On a day meant to be a celebration of the human spirit, we instead mourn the loss of a member of our triathlon community."

The motorcyclist died at the scene of the wreck while the cameraman was in "shock" and the triathlete was "seriously injured." Both were transported to a local hospital.

Organizers elected to cut the live stream of the triathlon after the incident, but the race carried on.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.