Age group athletes make their way to the swim start to begin Ironman 70.3 Texas on April 7, 2024, in Galveston, Texas. One of the competitors died after being rescued from the water during the race.Loren Elliott/Getty Images for IRONMAN The widow of a man who died earlier this year after a triathlon event in Galveston has filed a lawsuit against multiple parties including the city’s Park Board of Trustees and the organizer of the race, claiming their actions contributed to his death. What the vanishing of spring games says about sports todayCanadian triathlete Jean-Francois Alain, 49, was competing in the Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas on April 7 in Galveston. The race stated with a 1.2-mile swim in Offatts Bayou, followed by a 56-mile bike course and a 13.1-mile run through Moody Gardens. After beginning the swimming portion of the triathlon in Offatts Bayou on April 7, Alain reportedly signaled for help and a rescue team was dispatched. According to an original petition filed in September to the 269th Judicial District Court in Harris County by Alain’s widow Veronique Tremblay, the triathlon’s site plan and training program “failed miserably to protect the participants due to … collective negligence and gross negligence.” Specifically, the document alleged that “rookie” lifeguards on duty during the open swim at Offatts Bayou were trained insufficiently, and the lifeguard who responded to Alain “was not prepared for the challenge.” Further, the document alleged that personnel couldn’t get Alain to shore fast enough—including failing to maintain control
Leave a Reply