Horror Crash Mars IM Hamburg, Killing 1

A credentialed motorcyclist carrying a media photographer crashed into an age-group athlete during IRONMAN Hamburg, killing the motorcyclist and injuring the photographer and age-group athlete.

According to IRONMAN, the collision took place at kilometer 36 of the 180 kilometer bike course. Live coverage of the accident showed a line of motorcycles, traveling with the men's professional field; the collision appeared to occur as the motorcyclist was attempting to move further up in the line and collided with the age group athlete who was traveling in the opposite direction.

A statement from IRONMAN revealed that the age group athlete remained in the hospital for further treatment. According to IRONMAN, the media member has been released from the hospital.

In the same statement, IRONMAN said that "We are devastated by this tragic accident. On a day meant to be a celebration of the human spirit, we instead mourn the loss of a member of our triathlon community. Our sympathies are with all those affected. Our priority always is ensuring the safety of our participants and those involved in the event. A police investigation is ongoing, and we are cooperating with local authorities to understand the events that lead to the accident."

Athletes were diverted away from the incident site to continue the event. More than 2,000 professional and age group athletes were participating in today's race. Denis Chevrot won the race.