Ladbible X Whatsapp
  • iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Tributes paid to athletes who died while competing in Ironman competition at the weekend

Home> News> Sport

Published 17:27 21 Aug 2023 GMT+1

Tributes paid to athletes who died while competing in Ironman competition at the weekend

Ivan Chittenden and Brendan Wall sadly died while competing in the Ironman event over the weekend

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

Tributes have been shared after two men died during an Ironman competition this weekend.

Ivan Chittenden, from Toronto, Canada, and Brendan Wall, from County Meath, Ireland, were among the hundreds who took part in the event in Youghal in County Cork on Sunday (20 August).

The competition had originally been postponed due to the impact of Storm Betty, and was pushed back a day.

Mr Chittenden, who regularly competes in endurance events such as the Boston Marathon, and Mr Wall were taking part in the half Ironman, a 70.3 mile half triathlon, which included a swim, a 90km cycle and a long-distance run.

Advert

The two men, said to be in their 60s and 40s, got into trouble during the swimming leg of the event.

Ivan Chittenden died while competing in the Ironman event over the weekend.
Ivan Chittenden

In a statement, the event's organisers said: "During the swim portion of Sunday's race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognising the athletes were in need of assistance.

"We share our greatest sympathies with the family and friends of the athletes and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time."

Post-mortems on the two athletes are set to be carried out today (21 August) to determine their cause of death.

Advert

Stephen Lynch took part in the full Ironman and found out about the tragedy afterwards.

He said: “When you are in the race you don’t realise [anything is happening]. It could have been anybody.

“What happened to those men is desperately sad. There was a guy telling me that they were at an event like this in Lanzarote and it happened over there. The water can be unforgiving."

The conditions were blustery during the event.
Facebook/Cathal Shaw

Finance Minister Michael McGrath shared his condolences with the families of Mr Chittenden and Mr Wall.

Advert

He said: "First and foremost, out thoughts and prayers are with the families, who must be in a terrible state of shock and mourning at this time."

Councillor Sinead Sheppard, who was at the event to support her husband, said it was awful to hear the news.

She said: “It’s just so sad because no one ever thinks it is going to be them. You are holding your family a little bit tighter.

"The swim was well over and we were in the cycle section when the news got around. Everybody is absolutely shocked.

"Thousands of people come out for an event like this. The atmosphere is normally so joyful. It is a bit quieter now. People are celebrating but at the back of your mind you are thinking somebody has lost their life."

Featured Image Credit: Ivan Chittenden/John Carey 2011 via Getty

Topics: News, Sport

Dominic Smithers
Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers is LADbible's Editorial Lead. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History, he went on to write for the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express. So as you can imagine, he’s spent many a night wondering just how useful that second language has been. But c'est la vie.

X

@SmithersDom

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

5 hours ago
  • 5 hours ago

    Man, 92, found guilty of murder of woman nearly 60 years ago in UK's 'longest cold case'

    75-year-old Louisa Dunne was murdered in her Bristol home in 1967

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    'Marriage destroyer' holiday hotspot where Brits 'can't stop cheating' revealed

    Time to cancel those flights

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    Brit ranked no.733 in world won't receive £99k prize money despite shock first round win at Wimbledon

    Oliver Tarvet won't see the money because of a sporting rule

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    Police in frantic search for victim's head after reality star girlfriend charged with murder

    Police believe he was killed nearly two weeks ago now

    News