Hundreds of triathlon swimmers had to interrupt their competition in half after spotting a dangerous shark near the waters they were swimming in. Fortunately, most of the competitors in the Ironman 70.3 had already completed their almost 2 km swimming route.
The other triathletes that were still swimming in the waters of Busselton, Western Australia, had to immediately leave the competition in the middle after spotting the life-threatening shark. After the race interruption, the event organizers and local authorities closed the beach immediately.
We would like to welcome all of the #BusseltonIronman competitors to our gorgeous City – best of luck this weekend! #EventsCapitalWA pic.twitter.com/P47uAIcmLp
— City of Busselton (@CityBusselton) May 5, 2017
Triathletes competing in the Ironman 70.3 on Sunday, were completely disappointed and devastated when forced to interrupt their race debut. The 2.5-long shark is extremely dangerous. That is why there was no way Ironman organizers to let the swimmers continue and finish their swimming route from the half-distance triathlon.
The official reaction
Mr. Peter Minchin, the director or Triathlon WA, informed members from 190 teams that they wouldn’t be able to compete.
Even though the final decision about the impact this event can have on triathletes is yet to be decided, he added: “I think most people are understanding that this decision has been made in the interests of their safety.”
Cont – shark sighted 200m offshore , 100m east. Beaches closed & water cleared. Busselton Jetty, Busselton. Reported 11:50hrs 07/05
— Surf Life Saving WA (@SLSWA) May 7, 2017
The 1.9 km swim along with a 90.1 km bike and 21.1 km run is the biggest event of its kind in the southern hemisphere.
It welcomes more than 2000 competitors belonging in different age groups and teams to compete among other professionals in this popular south west location. The big prize of this Triathlon event is $33,000.
