while we haven't done anything exhaustive here, you might want to read our quick analysis, which was published before anyone actually got the study. Dan Empfield aka Slowman
Lay person here, but doesn't it seem like maybe some of this stuff, explicitly mentioned by the report as being unconsidered, should have been... considered?
"Detailed medical history (i.e., medical conditions) Detailed accounts of medical treatment(s) provided at the event or during/after transport to the hospital Official autopsy findings, if any Experience level with triathlon or endurance sport in general Information about the safety plan in place for the event Medical resources on site for the event Water temperature during the swim leg Water conditions during the swim leg"
I think they did imply that many of the things you brought up did not matter. Things like water condition, temp, venue, etc, had no bearing. And i think they said in most cases, medical was there within minutes, and there were no conversions. And most likely there are no official good autopsy findings, as those have to be done by the families, and the incentive there is to just keep it as an accidental death, not a medical one. So those stats are just not there.
I think the takeaway from all this is that it would be very hard to pigeon hole all these deaths into one general category, which has been my observations over the last 40 years. Just like with the death last week in the calmest, shortest triathlon that Pacific sports has ever put on in its 30 year history of staging triathlons, and their 1st fatality that i know of. Many folks would have thought that the high surf races they put on in LA without ever canceling the swims would have been the culprits, but no, it is the super calm bay with just a few hundred meter swim that produced the fatality, and all with on the spot medical personal.
It is something other than what folks think is the obvious here, and we as a sport are still trying to drill down to what those factors are. I have my own suspicions, like others do, but getting actual proof will not be easy..
It is something other than what folks think is the obvious here, and we as a sport are still trying to drill down to what those factors are. I have my own suspicions, like others do, but getting actual proof will not be easy..
The fatality rate is under estimated in this study, but it does provide some useful statistics. I agree that we have not put our finger on the cause. One of my suspicions is gag reflex fainting.