A Singaporean man died during Ironman in Cascais, Portugal, on October 15. Ironman Portugal posted a statement to their Facebook page confirming the death of Derrick Tee. He was the only Singaporean who participated in the triathlon event that had over 4,000 participants.
“During the swim portion of Saturday’s race, the athlete required and received medical assistance before being transported from the event,” said Ironman Portugal. The athlete ended up passing away in the ambulance while rushed to the hospital.
The post also said: “we thank the swim safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide the athlete with medical support.”
The Ironman Portugal triathlon comprised a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bicycle ride, and 42 km run, amounting to over 70 km.
This is not the first time someone has died during a triathlon, with over 15 deaths in 2022 alone reported. In most cases, the deaths occur during the swimming event.
The Ironman is considered one of the most difficult sporting events in the world and is a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC).
This past event in Cascais was Portugal’s second full-distance Ironman race.