2021 Ironman World Championship canceled

 Due to rising Corona infection numbers: 2021 Ironman World Championship to be postponed to February 5., 2022. Hawaii is currently experiencing the strongest Corona infection wave since the beginning of the pandemic. The World Championship is now scheduled to take place in February 2022.

Principle of hope
The race in February is likely to pose challenges, especially for age group athletes and also professional athletes from Europe. The form must be brought or built up over the winter, despite optionally closed sports and swimming facilities. In addition, the Sword of Damocles of "Lockdown 4.0" hovers over all qualified athletes.

Press release

2021 EDITION OF IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RESCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 5, 2022 DUE TO CONTINUED GLOBAL IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC. 2021 Supersapiens IRONMAN World Championship postponed based on continuing COVID-19-related impact to Island of Hawai`i. 

IRONMAN in conjunction with local Hawai`i officials announced today that due to the continued impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic to the Island of Hawai`i, the 2021 Supersapiens IRONMAN® World Championship has been rescheduled from its originally scheduled October 9, 2021 race date to February 5, 2022. Like 1982, we expect that there will be two editions of the IRONMAN World Championship in 2022 (February and October).

“The resurgence of the virus and new Delta strain has had significant impact on the island community of Hawai`i. Combined with substantial border closures and travel restrictions for qualified athletes, there is not a viable pathway in October to host the IRONMAN World Championship,” said Andrew Messick, President & Chief Executive Officer for The IRONMAN Group. “After extensive consultation with governmental and community leaders in Hawai`i, we believe that the best course of action is to delay the event until February of 2022.” 

“We have worked closely with local and state Hawai`i officials and other key event stakeholders, and are aligned in the imperative to protect our local community by shifting planning efforts to a February race date,” said Diana Bertsch, Senior Vice President, World Championship Events for The IRONMAN Group. “Our local community, athletes, partners, volunteers, and all other members of our `ohana -- who represent our Hawaiian roots and history -- feel pride and confidence in this difficult decision. We will work towards welcoming our athletes back to the Island of Hawai`i in February with the racing experience for which the IRONMAN World Championship is famous.”

“We are honored to work alongside the fantastic IRONMAN staff, amid a global pandemic, to reach an equitable solution that ensures our island’s premier sporting event may persist at a later date,” said Hawai`i County Mayor, Mitch Roth. “Since the first race in 1978, the event has become an integral part of our county’s global identity, and we look forward to welcoming the athletes and spectators from around the world to our shores once again when it is safe to do so.”

“The IRONMAN World Championship is an iconic part of our Hawai`i Island community and history.  For over 40 years, our community has supported IRONMAN and cheered on participants from all over the globe.  In return, IRONMAN has continued to support our community during these challenging times.  I am deeply grateful for IRONMAN’s $1,000,000 commitment to feed our residents in need throughout 2020 and 2021 with their Kahiau Together program. As IRONMAN continues to mālama and truly care about our island community, we look forward to welcoming the IRONMAN World Championship back in 2022 with our full support,” said State Senator Dru Mamo Kanuha.

The pandemic has greatly impacted the Hawaiian community not only through deadly cases of COVID, but also significantly hurting the local economy due to limited tourism opportunities. As the impact of the pandemic was felt in our home community where our staff and many volunteers live and work, a targeted initiative, Kahiau Together, was created alongside the IRONMAN Foundation in July 2020 to support locals who were suffering due to food insecurities. By years end, the Kahiau Together initiative will have hosted 25 events locally, serving over 132,000 meals through the distribution of food bundles of locally sourced fresh proteins, fruits, vegetables, and starches. An additional $30,000 in grants from the IRONMAN Foundation has been provided to non-profits feeding their communities. Those needing support can attend one of the following upcoming events:

Wednesday, September 1 – Kamehameha Park

A Meal Fit for a Queen – Celebrating the birth month of Queen Lili`uokalani

Monday, October 4 – Kona International Marketplace

Heroes of Hawai`i

Monday, November 22 - Kona International Marketplace

Thanksgiving Bundles

Monday, December 20 - Kona International Marketplace

Christmas Bundles

IRONMAN Athletes who are registered for the 2021 edition of the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon will be contacted directly. For more information and event details for the IRONMAN World Championship, please visit www.ironman.com/im-world-championship. 

There are no material changes in qualifying for professional or age-group athletes for the 2022 IRONMAN World Championship. Additional information on the Kahiau Together initiative, schedule of events, grant applications, and how to support these efforts, visit www.ironmanfoundation.org/kahiau-together.

IRONMAN Triathlon parent company Wanda Sports Group (Dalian Wanda) agrees US$ 240m loan facility with Credit Suisse

The funding will help Wanda Sports Group to refinance and prepay its existing annual term loan facility, dated 15th Match 2019. The agreement has been made at uncertain times for the sports industry due SARS-CoV-2 pandemie and global outbreak of COVID-19 infection, with Wanda Sports Group announcing earlier in the month that the ongoing coronavirus outbreak could have a ‘material adverse impact’ on the company. Continue on SportsPro.

SARSCoV2: THE IRONMAN GROUP’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19

THE IRONMAN GROUP’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19

To our global community, We know that both our athletes and our communities want to be racing; we do too. While The IRONMAN Group’s mission is to provide exceptional, life-changing race experiences for athletes of all levels, from their first step to the finish line, we can only accomplish this by providing the safest possible environment, and safeguarding the citizens of our host communities. COVID-19 has substantially altered the global sports landscape and will have material impact on the mass participation industry in the immediate term. We want to reassure you that the health and well-being of our community is our primary concern. To this end, we are doing our part to communicate effectively and follow public health agencies and governmental authorities’ recommendations. We expect that there are going to be substantial and widespread event postponements in the coming weeks and months. The decision to proceed, restrict, modify or postpone an event will be based on availability of community resources and ongoing event-specific risk assessment in coordination with the relevant healthcare and government authorities and the IRONMAN Global Medical Advisory Board, an independent medical advisory board focused on health and safety. For events that will continue, The IRONMAN Group, along with the IRONMAN Global Medical Advisory Board, has outlined a series of pragmatic and practical actions designed to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 or any other infectious agent to athletes and to members of our host communities. These steps will help athletes achieve their goals while allowing communities to secure the benefits of hosting mass participation sporting events. They will be implemented worldwide at all IRONMAN Group events beginning March 19 and will continue indefinitely. Self-care and Risk Minimization Athletes who are sick or have been potentially exposed to an infectious agent must not compete or attend events, as this puts others at risk. As a community, we each have a personal responsibility to protect each other by complying with this rule. We ask that all athletes, volunteers and partners follow the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for basic protective measures against the new coronavirus: Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough or difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority. Regularly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash your hands with soap and water, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Practice good respiratory hygiene. Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of used tissues immediately and appropriately in a bin. Providing Flexibility to Athletes  Certain races will be postponed or cancelled due to the outbreak and we will communicate these as soon as practical. Our goal will be to move the race to a date later in the year. We work in close partnership with the relevant public health authorities in the territories where the races take place and err on the side of safety for our athletes and the host community. If an event cannot occur on the scheduled date, we will take the following actions: Postponement:  Registered athletes for events that are postponed due to COVID-19 by the local health authorities are automatically transferred to the rescheduled date. For those that the new date does not work, we will allow deferrals into the same event the next year. Cancellation: Registered athletes for events that are cancelled due to COVID-19 by the local health authorities are automatically deferred to the same race in 2021. Other options: We are vetting other options to allow displaced athletes to race in 2020 and will communicate those in due course. Athletes in Quarantined/Restricted Territories: For athletes in certain designated quarantine or restricted territories who have registered for races that take place before June 1, 2020 and have NOT been postponed or cancelled, we will aid in finding alternative races later in the season. For those who are sick, feel unwell, or have been potentially exposed to an infectious agent in advance of a race that will take place, do not come to the race; instead seek medical care. Once you have done so, contact the relevant Athlete Services representative for your race and we will attempt to find you another solution. Safe Event Experience  In order to provide the safest experience for our athletes, we are instituting the following at our races, effective March 19.   Reinforcing Social Distancing in all elements of the event The hours of on-site event registration will be expanded. Athletes will be allowed to pick up their athlete race kit/race bib and immediately exit expo area. Athlete density will be decreased by increasing individual race space staging, corrals, etc. No-handshake behavior will be encouraged for the duration of the event. Athlete briefing information will be available digitally only. Non-core, high-contact services (e.g. wetsuit peeling) will be suspended.  Hygiene First Staff and volunteers who are interacting with participants pre-race, on race day and post-race will be provided gloves. Hand-washing stations and sanitation stations around the venue for athletes, volunteers and spectators will be increased No-touch waste disposal stations and receptacles will be rolled out as available. Frequently touched surfaces at race venue locations such as workstations, product distribution areas, tables and electronic devices will be cleaned regularly. When possible, on-course food and fluid supplies will be single use/single serving closed packaging Athletes planning to return home by airplane or rail are encouraged to avoid travel post-event for 24 hours allowing their immune system time to recover post-race. No onsite interviews or press conference with professional athletes. No handshake/contact on the race podium. Printed document distribution will be eliminated.  Medical Service Education and awareness training regarding signs and symptoms of COVID-19 will be provided to all medical and volunteer staff. Frequent communication with health authorities and healthcare facilities will be implemented to assist in assessment, referral and initial management of suspected COVID-19 illness of staff, participants, volunteers, and spectators. This is a highly dynamic situation and we will continue to adapt and adjust as appropriate. We appreciate your patience in the coming days and weeks. We recognize that this is a challenging time but our community will endure. We are inspired by your  ambition, and endeavor to be worthy of your commitment. As further updates are available, they will be posted at www.ironman.com/updates and www.runrocknroll.com/updates in addition to our individual event sites and social media pages. Thank you for your continued support, and we wish you the best in health and wellness. Andrew Messick President & Chief Executive Officer The IRONMAN Group