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Tag: Triathlon

  • Sue Goldie Has Parkinson’s Disease

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    She is animated now, in full lecture mode. Patients, she says, should have access to therapists and trainers as soon as they’re diagnosed with Parkinson’s, not just after a fall or injury or when symptoms become debilitating. Insurance companies should pay for it, she says. Studies show that exercise is good for patients — for Parkinson’s symptoms, yes, and maybe for the progress of the disease itself, but also to help stave off problems and comorbidities that come when people stop moving much, like heart disease and diabetes.

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    John Branch and Sophie Park

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  • Olympic marathon swim test run is canceled over water quality concerns for Seine River

    Olympic marathon swim test run is canceled over water quality concerns for Seine River

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    PARIS (AP) — A test run meant to allow Olympic athletes to familiarize themselves with the marathon swimming course in the Seine River was canceled Tuesday over concerns about water quality in the Paris waterway.

    World Aquatics made the decision to cancel the exercise at an early morning meeting, the organization said in a statement. Fluctuating bacteria levels in the long-polluted waterway have been a constant concern throughout the Games with the swimming portion of the triathlon and the marathon swimming events both planned in the river.

    Another marathon swimming test event is scheduled for Wednesday, and organizers will decide early that morning whether it will go forward, the statement said. The women’s marathon swim competition is set for Thursday, while the men are scheduled to race Friday.

    The cancellation of Tuesday’s marathon swimming test event comes a day after the triathlon mixed relay event was held in the river that runs through the center of the French capital. World Triathlon released data Tuesday showing that when the triathletes swam Monday, the levels of fecal bacteria E. coli and enterococci were within acceptable levels for the length of the triathlon relay course.

    The swimming portion of the triathlon and the marathon swim both start and finish at the Pont Alexandre III, but the marathon swimming course extends farther down the river. Marathon swimmers do six laps on the 1.67-kilometer (1 mile) course for a total of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles.)

    Water samples drawn early Monday showed E. coli levels ranging from “good” to “very good” at four collection points in the river, World Aquatics said.

    It takes longer to cultivate enterococci samples, so the decision to cancel Tuesday’s test run relied on samples taken Sunday, organizers said. Monday’s enterococci levels were available by midmorning Tuesday and while they showed an improvement in the river’s water quality, one of four tests still fell short of World Aquatics standards.

    Under both World Aquatics and World Triathlon guidelines, “good” water quality can include up to 1,000 colony-forming units of E. coli per 100 milliliters and up to 400 colony-forming units of enterococci per 100 milliliters.

    A sample taken early Monday at Port du Gros Caillou, which is on the marathon swimming course but is beyond the point where triathletes turned around Monday, showed a level of 436 units of enterococci, data released Tuesday show.

    Organizers said they “remain confident” that the marathon swimming events will happen in the Seine as planned based on “a favorable weather forecast and forward-looking analysis.”

    Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who took a highly publicized swim in the Seine last month to allay fears about water quality ahead of the Olympics, echoed that confidence.

    “We will of course wait to get the results of the water quality but the event will take place because there’s been a clear improvement of the weather these past few days,” she said. “So I’m really proud and happy and to all those who want to continue saying it’s impossible to depollute a river, I tell them, ’Yes it’s possible, we did it.’”

    With a few exceptions, swimming in the Seine has been prohibited since 1923 because the water has been too toxic. Paris undertook ambitious plan, including 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in infrastructure improvements to ensure that some swimming events could be held in the river. That included the construction of a giant basin to capture excess rainwater and keep wastewater from flowing into the river, renovating sewer infrastructure and upgrading wastewater treatment plants.

    Belgium’s Olympic committee announced that it would withdraw its team from the mixed relay triathlon at the Paris Olympics after one of its competitors who swam in the Seine River fell ill.

    Water quality in the Seine is closely linked to the weather. Heavy rains can cause wastewater and runoff to flow into the river, resulting in elevated bacteria levels, while warm temperatures and the sun’s ultraviolet rays can kill the germs and lower levels.

    While the weather has mostly been hot and sunny during the Games, there have been several instances of drenching rains. Water quality concerns caused the cancellation of test swims in the Seine ahead of both the individual triathlon and triathlon mixed relay events and led to the postponement by a day of the men’s individual triathlon.

    Four triathletes — of the more than 100 who competed in the men’s and women’s individual races last week — became sick in the following days, though it’s unclear whether the water was to blame.

    Most strains of E. coli and enterococci are harmless, and some live in the intestines of healthy people and animals. But others are dangerous and even a mouthful of contaminated water can cause infections in the urinary tract or intestines. Several factors determine whether a person falls ill after exposure, chief among them a person’s age and general health.

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    Associated Press video journalist Masha Macpherson contributed to this report.

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    AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

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  • Belgium withdraws from mixed relay triathlon after athlete who swam in Seine River falls ill

    Belgium withdraws from mixed relay triathlon after athlete who swam in Seine River falls ill

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    PARIS — Belgium’s Olympic committee announced Sunday that it would withdraw its team from the mixed relay triathlon at the Paris Olympics after one of its competitors who swam in the Seine River fell ill.

    Claire Michel, who competed in the women’s triathlon Wednesday, “is unfortunately ill and will have to withdraw from the competition,” the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee said in a statement.

    Paris 2024 organizers had no immediate statement on Michel’s illness, but said in a statement Sunday night that the mixed relay triathlon would proceed Monday at 8 a.m. The swim portion of the competition is slated for the Seine.

    The Belgian committee’s statement did not elaborate on Michel’s illness but it comes after concerns over the river’s water quality. Organizers had said that water quality tests done the day of the individual triathlon races showed “very good” bacteria levels.

    On Sunday night, representatives from World Triathlon and the International Olympic Committee along with Paris Games organizers and regional and weather authorities reviewed water tests. The results indicated the water quality at the triathlon site had improved over recent hours and would be within the limits mandated by World Triathlon.

    Daily water quality tests measure levels of the fecal bacteria, including E. coli, in the Seine’s waters. World Triathlon’s water safety guidelines and a 2006 European Union directive assign qualitative values to a range of E. coli levels.

    Under World Triathlon’s guidelines, E. coli levels up to 1,000 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters can be considered “good” and can allow competitions to go forward.

    World Triathlon’s medical committee said it considers water quality analysis, sanitary inspection and the weather forecast when determining whether to go forward with a race. The decisions have generally been made at early morning meetings on the day of the event. But in announcing Sunday night that the race would happen Monday, organizers said they were responding to requests from athletes to give them more time to prepare.

    Leading up to the individual triathlon events, water quality concerns prompted organizers to cancel the swimming portion of two test runs meant to allow athletes to familiarize themselves with the course and also to delay the men’s race by a day. Test swims in the Seine scheduled for Saturday and Sunday before the triathlon mixed relay were also canceled because of bacteria levels in the water.

    The Belgian committee said it “hopes that lessons will be learned for future triathlon competitions at the Olympic Games. We are thinking here of the guarantee of training days, competition days and the competition format, which must be clarified in advance and ensure that there is no uncertainty for the athletes, entourage and supporters.”

    Swiss officials said Saturday that triathlete Adrien Briffod, who also competed in the Seine on Wednesday, fell ill with a stomach infection. But they said it was “impossible to say” whether it was linked to the swim and that the other delegations told them none of their triathletes had reported stomach problems.

    Swiss officials said in an update Sunday that Simon Westermann, who had been tapped to replace Briffod, also had to withdraw because of a gastrointestinal infection. Westermann had not participated in any swims in the Seine, the statement said. The Swiss team still planned to compete in the mixed relay Monday.

    Norwegian triathlete Vetle Bergsvik Thorn got sick a day after competing in the men’s triathlon. Thorn told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that he woke up the next day with an upset stomach and was vomiting but thought that the likely cause was food poisoning. He said he felt better later that day and was planning on competing again in the mixed relay scheduled for Monday.

    Arild Tveiten, the sports director of the Norwegian Triathlon Federation, said the cause of Thorn’s illness was unclear.

    “We’re thinking what everyone is thinking: that it’s probably the river. But we don’t know. It could be the river, it could be the chicken,” Tveiten told NRK. “The doctor is leaning toward the possibility of food poisoning. That’s what the symptoms suggest.”

    Marathon swimming events are set to be held in the Seine on Thursday and Friday.

    Five of the eight swimmers in the men’s 1,500-meter freestyle Sunday night were listed to be entered in the 10-kilometer marathon swim.

    Bronze medalist Daniel Wiffen of Ireland, who won an earlier gold in the 800 free, said he wouldn’t train ahead of time in the Seine: “I don’t want to try to deal with any illness.”

    He said he would instead train in pools around Paris, even if it means “going in blind.”

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    Associated Press journalists Karl Ritter and Janie McCauley contributed reporting.

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    For more coverage of the Paris Olympics, visit https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games.

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  • Belgium withdraws from mixed relay triathlon after athlete who swam in Seine River during women’s triathlon falls ill

    Belgium withdraws from mixed relay triathlon after athlete who swam in Seine River during women’s triathlon falls ill

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    Belgium withdraws from mixed relay triathlon after athlete who swam in Seine River during women’s triathlon falls ill

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  • Paris Olympics spectators take in triathlon event as Seine River declared clean enough for swimming

    Paris Olympics spectators take in triathlon event as Seine River declared clean enough for swimming

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    Triathlon athletes in Paris plunged into the Seine River on Wednesday after officials declared it clean enough for swimming. “Yes, finally! Finally, they approve to swim in the river,” said Brice Perrin, a Paris resident. The cleaner water levels allowed all three disciplines of the triathlon to proceed as scheduled. This gave American tourists Cyndi Graham and Doug Layne an unexpected spectacle during their layover. “They did the swim. We hope everyone is safe after the event,” Graham said. “We were excited they went through with it. It would have been sad if they didn’t get to do it.”The athletes raced two laps, roughly a mile, in the Seine, followed by 25 miles of cycling and a 6.2-mile run past iconic landmarks. Cassandre Beaugrand of France took gold for the women, with Team USA’s Taylor Spivey finishing in the top 10. Great Britain’s Alex Yee finished first for the men. “And to do it in this heat. I’m just having trouble walking in this heat. I can’t imagine running and cycling in it!” said Doug Layne, an American spectator. Would spectators be willing to swim in the Seine themselves?”Not now, to be honest,” Perrin said. “We can try one day, of course.”The next test for the Seine’s water quality comes on Aug. 5 for the triathlon mixed relay, followed by Open Water Swimming on Aug. 8 and Aug. 9.

    Triathlon athletes in Paris plunged into the Seine River on Wednesday after officials declared it clean enough for swimming.

    “Yes, finally! Finally, they approve to swim in the river,” said Brice Perrin, a Paris resident.

    The cleaner water levels allowed all three disciplines of the triathlon to proceed as scheduled.

    This gave American tourists Cyndi Graham and Doug Layne an unexpected spectacle during their layover.

    “They did the swim. We hope everyone is safe after the event,” Graham said.

    “We were excited they went through with it. It would have been sad if they didn’t get to do it.”

    The athletes raced two laps, roughly a mile, in the Seine, followed by 25 miles of cycling and a 6.2-mile run past iconic landmarks.

    Cassandre Beaugrand of France took gold for the women, with Team USA’s Taylor Spivey finishing in the top 10.

    Great Britain’s Alex Yee finished first for the men.

    “And to do it in this heat. I’m just having trouble walking in this heat. I can’t imagine running and cycling in it!” said Doug Layne, an American spectator.

    Would spectators be willing to swim in the Seine themselves?

    “Not now, to be honest,” Perrin said. “We can try one day, of course.”

    The next test for the Seine’s water quality comes on Aug. 5 for the triathlon mixed relay, followed by Open Water Swimming on Aug. 8 and Aug. 9.

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  • Triathlon cancels Olympic swim training for the second day over poor water quality in the Seine :: WRALSportsFan.com

    Triathlon cancels Olympic swim training for the second day over poor water quality in the Seine :: WRALSportsFan.com

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    By PAT GRAHAM and KATE BRUMBACK, Associated Press

    PARIS — PARIS (AP) — Concerns about the water quality in the Seine River led officials to call off the swimming portion of an Olympic triathlon training session for a second straight day Monday.

    Organizers overseeing the event at the Paris Games are optimistic that triathletes will be able to swim in the city’s famed waterway when the competition starts Tuesday.

    The sport’s governing body, World Triathlon, its medical team and city officials are banking on sunny weather and higher temperatures to bring the bacteria levels below the necessary limits to stage the swim portion of the race, which also includes biking and running.

    World Triathlon made the decision to cancel the swim workout early Monday following a meeting over water quality in the Seine, which is closely linked to the weather. Rain deluged Friday’s opening ceremony and showers persisted Saturday, forcing some tennis matches and the skateboarding competition to be postponed.

    The representatives for Paris 2024 and triathlon’s international federation said tests conducted in the Seine on Sunday showed water quality levels leading into the training session that “did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held.” The delegation blamed the recent rain.

    French sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra told French news channel CNEWS on Monday that officials are “absolutely serene about all of this.” The plans they put in place to control bacteria levels in the river have been effective, but the weather is beyond their control, she said.

    The recent rain contributed to the water quality concerns, but she said she believed things would improve.

    “I am confident in the fact that we will be able to be there tomorrow for the men’s triathlon event,” she said.

    Organizers say the backup plan is to postpone the events and, if elevated bacteria levels persist, the swimming portion of the race will be abandoned and the athletes will compete in a duathlon.

    Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over a century in big part because of the poor water quality. Organizers have invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to prepare the river ahead of the Olympics.

    In addition to the swimming part of the men’s triathlon Tuesday, the women’s triathlon Wednesday and the triathlon mixed relay Monday, the Seine is expected be used for the marathon swimming competitions on Aug. 8 and 9.

    Daily water quality tests in early June indicated unsafe levels of E. coli bacteria, followed by recent improvements. Some of the measures put in place to improve the water quality include the construction of a giant basin to capture excess rainwater and keep wastewater from flowing into the river, renovating sewer infrastructure and upgrading wastewater treatment plants.

    Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a very public swim in the river about two weeks before Olympic events were set to start, hoping to ease fears about the long-polluted waterway being clean enough to host swimming competitions.

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    AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

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  • Olympics pre-race triathlon event in Seine River canceled over water quality concerns

    Olympics pre-race triathlon event in Seine River canceled over water quality concerns

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    PARIS — Concerns over the water quality of Paris’ Seine River have continued into the 2024 Olympics, with a pre-race triathlon event there canceled Sunday.

    Organizers said they nixed the swimming leg of the triathlon familiarization scheduled for Sunday morning after a meeting about water quality among authorities tasked with carrying out water quality tests. That included representatives of World Triathlon, as well as city and regional authorities.

    Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over a century in big part due to poor water quality. Organizers have invested $1.5 billion to prepare the Seine for these Games, and the government has said the river would be clean enough to hold events, including the swimming portion of the triathlon and the marathon swimming event.

    Daily water quality tests in early June indicated unsafe levels of E. coli bacteria, followed by recent improvements. Parisian Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a famous dip in the river less than two weeks before Olympic events were set to start, fulfilling a promise to show that the long-polluted waterway was clean enough to host swimming competitions.

    Heavy rain during the opening ceremony revived concerns over whether the long-polluted waterway will be clean enough to host swimming competitions, since water quality is deeply linked with the weather in the French capital.

    Since 2015, organizers have invested heavily to prepare the Seine for the Olympics and to ensure Parisians have a cleaner river after the Games. The plan included constructing a giant underground water storage basin in central Paris, renovating sewer infrastructure and upgrading wastewater treatment plants.

    Triathleletes have expressed hope that the waters would be clean enough for them to swim in.

    “Hopefully we get to swim, bike and run because I don’t swim this much to just run and bike,” Spanish triathlete Alberto Gonzalez said.

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    AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

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  • An Ironman Wisconsin competitor dies after he fell ill during the bike portion of Sunday’s triathlon

    An Ironman Wisconsin competitor dies after he fell ill during the bike portion of Sunday’s triathlon

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    Authorities say a man competing in Ironman Wisconsin fell ill during the grueling triathlon and later died

    ByThe Associated Press

    September 11, 2023, 1:43 PM

    CROSS PLAINS, Wis. — 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.

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  • Two men die during swimming portion of Ironman event in Ireland

    Two men die during swimming portion of Ironman event in Ireland

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    Local authorities say two men died during the swimming portion of an Ironman event in Ireland

    LONDON — Two men died during the swimming portion of an Ironman event in Ireland on Sunday, local authorities said.

    Cork County Council said it was “deeply saddened over the tragic loss of two race participants” during the event in Youghal in southwest Ireland.

    Irish broadcaster RTE said the two men, one in his mid-60s and one in his mid-40s, died in separate incidents during the 1.9 kilometer (1.2 mile) swimming portion of the competition. The event had originally been scheduled for Saturday but was pushed back one day because of severe weather conditions.

    “During the swim portion of Sunday’s race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognizing the athletes were in need of assistance,” organizer Ironman Ireland said in a statement on Facebook.

    “We share our greatest sympathies with the families and friends of the athletes and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. We thank the safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide the athletes with medical assistance.”

    Both men were pronounced dead at the scene, local media reported.

    They were competing in a so-called half Ironman event, which also features a 90 kilometer (56 mile) bike course and a 21.1 kilometer (13.1 mile) run.

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  • Triathlon test for Paris Olympics to go ahead as water quality allows swimming in the Seine

    Triathlon test for Paris Olympics to go ahead as water quality allows swimming in the Seine

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    PARIS — Organizers of a triathlon event ahead of next year’s Paris Olympics said Wednesday that conditions have been met for athletes to swim in the River Seine in the coming days, after a previous test had to be cancelled earlier this month due to bad water quality.

    Latest tests show water quality levels are back to acceptable standards, said Christophe Rosa, the deputy general delegate of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic delegation at Paris City Hall.

    “We are monitoring water quality with a very robust process” that involves testing “almost hour by hour” through an automatic sampling system in addition to daily laboratory tests ”to guarantee the best conditions so that athletes can compete in complete safety especially regarding their health,” he detailed.

    The event comes after the last-minute cancellation of a swimming competition which was due to take place in the Seine at the beginning of the month. Heavy rains had then caused overflows of untreated waste, deteriorating water quality to the point it was below standards for the Open Water Swimming World Cup event to be held.

    Games organizers say the waterway will be better prepared in 2024 as Paris is spending massively on water-management projects that officials say will make pollution caused by storms less frequent.

    Christophe Noël du Peyrat, chief of staff of the Paris region authority, said that “this first competition in the Seine is an important step in the fight to make the Seine a swimming area.”

    Water quality improved when there’s a normal weather, he said, yet “we still have a lot of work ahead for year 2024 . . . to be able to face exceptional weather like what we’ve known at the end of July and beginning of August.” Rain levels then reached four times the usual average, he stressed.

    Additional infrastructures in the works include a giant underground reservoir in Paris that will stock excess water during storms, so it doesn’t have to be spilled untreated into the river and can be treated later.

    From Thursday to Sunday, triathletes and para-triathletes will race through the heart of Paris, swimming at the bottom of the spectacular 19th century Alexandre III bridge and its golden statues. They will ride bikes and run through some of the most prestigious neighborhoods of the capital city, including the Champs-Elysees avenue and alongside the Orsay Museum.

    The men’s and women’s individual races will be over the Olympic standard distance: 1.5 kilometer (0.93 mile) swim, 40 kilometer (24.8 miles) bike and 10 kilometer (6.2 mile) run.

    Brigitte Légaré, sport manager at the Paris 2024 organization committee, said the event also is a key test for logistics ahead of the Olympics. It is an occasion to make sure that safety on the Seine, timing system, security measures and control of spectators movement are operational, she said.

    From 300 to 400 officers will be deployed, according to the Paris police prefecture.

    Fans can attend the event for free — about 800 people received an invitation allowing them to be in the start and finish area while others are to line the course of the race.

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    More AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • Longest Triathlon in the World: Miami Local Crushes Guinness World Record

    Longest Triathlon in the World: Miami Local Crushes Guinness World Record

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    Press Release
    –


    updated: Aug 15, 2018


    MIAMI, August 15, 2018 (Newswire.com)
    –
     Miami’s Jon Eggert Gudmundsson breaks the Guinness World Record for the longest triathlon to bring attention to Wheel Heroes, a charity which provides specialty bikes to children with disabilities. 

    WHAT: Jon Gudmundson has crushed the Guinness World Record for the Longest Triathlon. The current record is 3,762 miles. Jon will complete 4,847 miles of Running, Cycling and Swimming.

    WHO: Jon Eggert Gudmundsson is called “The Viking” by locals. In 2006, he became the only person to walk the circumference of Iceland – 2,300 miles in five months. In 2016, he became the only person to cycle the same route.

    Several years ago, Jon’s car broke down and he decided that he didn’t really need to drive anymore. So he left the car and started cycling everywhere he went. He often participates in cycling events around Florida. He rides to the events, participates in the events, then he cycles home, often taking the scenic route.

    Jon loves cycling and feels that all children, even those with disabilities, should experience that same joy. “It gives them independence, exercise and the therapy they need.” His mission during his record attempt is to draw attention to the Wheel Heroes charity which provides specialty bikes to children with disabilities. Donations to Wheel Heroes can be made at jonthewheelhero.com.

    WHEN: Jon has already passed the Guinness World Record and will continue to add miles until his final date of Aug. 26, 2018, at the LA Fitness swimming pool at 20505 S Dixie Hwy., Cutler Bay, FL 33189 at 3 p.m.

    WHERE: Jon will complete the last mile in the LA Fitness swimming pool at 20505 S Dixie Hwy., Cutler Bay, FL 33189 at Aug. 26, 2018, at 3 p.m.

    MEDIA CONTACT:

    Anthony DeNito: 305-323-5195, news@anthonydenito.com, www.wheelheroes.co

    Wheel Heroes Inc. is a Non-Profit charity 501(c)(3)

    Anthony DeNito
    305-323-5195
    RE/MAX ADVANCE REALTY 
    myrealtor@anthonydenito.com
    www.facebook.com/anthonydenito 

    Source: Wheel Heroes

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