Fatal accident at the Ironman in Hamburg: The athletes have to take a detour over the dike. © Screenshot/ARD
Due to a fatal accident at the Ironman in Hamburg, cyclists had to take a detour. Two commentators were amused, they probably knew nothing about the accident.
Hamburg – A tragic accident overshadows the Ironman 2023 in Hamburg: About two and a half hours after the start, around 8.45 a.m., an escort motorcycle collides with a bicycle. The motorcyclist died at the scene of the accident, the athlete who was hit suffered serious injuries and a cameraman suffered minor injuries.
After accident at the Ironman: "I'm at a loss for words" – thousands of cyclists have to push their bikes
Only nine participants in the leading group were able to continue the race regularly, all others were behind, as Sport1 reported. They had to carry their bikes over the dike a few meters before the accident site. The event was broadcast on ARD, but two commentators and a reporter on site did not know about the tragedy of the accident about an hour after the collision. Their ignorance was evident in their comments.
The fact that the Ironman athletes laboriously carried or pushed their bikes past the accident over the dike initially caused amusement among the two experts. "Unbelievable scenes, I'm at a loss for words," said one of them, laughing. The fact that around 3,000 athletes dismount and carry their bikes up and down a hill is "a curious situation" and also a "complete disaster." However, the fact that a person lost his life in the middle of the competition did not seem to have been known to the commentators at the time.
Ironman in Hamburg: ARD commentators know nothing about the severity of the accident – transmission breaks off
"We're laughing a little bit now, of course, but remember, guys, it's all because of a serious accident that happened," a reporter at the scene chimed in. But as the two sports experts inform, they have been informed "that the condition of the two is ok". That's why they cheerfully continued to joke: "It's a hiking day up there", "it's like cross-country races" and "they're even lucky that there are no sheep on the dike," the two commentators joked happily.
However, they also regretted the decision that the athletes are now put in such a situation. It was "extremely sad", also in terms of best times. A turning point should have been set further in front of the accident site, said one of them.
During the Ironman in Hamburg, a motorcycle collides with an athlete on the bike. The driver of the bike dies at the scene of the accident. © Screenshot/ARD
But suddenly, the Ironman experts fell silent, followed by several minutes without comment. However, the transmission continued, for example, to see how a rescue helicopter left the scene of the accident. Subsequently, a reporter on site informed that the motorcyclist died at the scene of the accident. As a result, ARD ended its broadcast, but the race continued. (asc)
