Ironman 70.3 participants on their way to the SRP tunnel. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
MOST of the accidents involving athletes during the Ironman 70.3 triathlon in Cebu took place during the 90-kilometer bike race where riders fell off their bikes or had collisions.
Four out of six incidents took place in S. Osmeña Road in Cebu City, where race organizers had repeatedly warned cyclists to watch out for newly filled potholes.
“There were more accidents now compared to the last two years of the Ironman races in Cebu which involved self-accidents,” said Joy Tumulak of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) which recorded a total of six cases.
However, Tumulak said he could not say for sure whether the mishaps were due to the uneven road surface.
What’s new this year, he said, were cases of bikers who were distracted by pedestrians suddenly crossing the road.
Human cordon
Tumulak scored the “lack of discipline” of students lining the streets who were supposed to act as a human cordon for the race .
At the South Road Properties, Cebu Daily News observed how some students, instead of staying on the sides, would cross the road while bikers passed by.
In Lapu-Lapu City, a policeman broke his shoulder when he used his body to stop a female biker from further speeding downhill and almost hitting the rails of the Marcelo Fernan Bridge.
The impact caused both of them to fall on the ground.
PO1 Mark Anthony was recognized yesterday by police officials for saving the life of athlete Melissa Baron.
Collided
In Cebu City, Tumulak said three of six incidents last Sunday involved what he called “self accidents” when a biker would lose control and fall down.
Citom records showed that at 8:10 am, a biker fell down at S. Osmeña Road corner T. Padilla Street.
Thirty minutes later, a marshal was hit by a biker. At 9:25 am in the SRP road, two bikers collided on their way to Talisay City.
At 9:50 a.m., another cyclist fell from his bike. This was repeated with another biker in S. Osmeña Road near Amihan.
Two athletes were admitted in Chong Hua Hospital, said Dr. Peter Mancao, overall medical team doctor for the Ironman 70.3 races.
Hospital treatment
“The Filipina athlete with number 2792 who fell in S. Palma Street (Cebu City) already had a surgery Sunday night (for wounds on her face) and returned to Manila the next day.
Another was admitted and later discharged and went back to Singapore,” said Mancao.
According to Citom, the female athlete who was brought to Chong Hua Hospital earlier lost control of her bike and fell when an ROTC cadet suddenly crossed the road.
The sudden movement distracted the athlete. She was later identified by the race director as Maria Cecilia Hufana.
Dr. Mancao said he had no data as to the specific cause of the mishaps since the medical team focused on treating the athletes, although he noted a slight increase in medical incidents.
Intervention
Over 2,400 participants were registered for Sunday’s Ironman 70.3, the highest attendance in the sixth year of the triathlon in the Philippines.
With Sunday’s warm weather, Mancao said the medical team was expecting cases of muscle cramps and dehydration.
Mancao said only four cases required intervention, mostly during the bike race.
During the swimming and marathon, there were some complaints of muscle cramps and wounds after stepping on corals.
“We cannot include in our list the number of all the athletes who fell from their bikes and those who had cramps and dehydration because some of them just took some rest and continued with the race,” Mancao said.
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