Belgian athlete Joren Thys experienced a terrifying ordeal last weekend at the start of the Embrunman. Just 200 meters into the swim, Thys was struck on the head and knocked unconscious in the water. He narrowly survived after regaining consciousness just in time while swallowing water, managing to swim back to shore on his own where he received first aid for over an hour.
Thys considers himself fortunate to have woken up, as the race organization failed to notice he was drowning.
“This made me aware of a danger I never expected,” Thys said after the incident. “I didn’t feel safe, and there was no one around when I needed help. Maybe it’s time to thoroughly review athlete safety during these massive mass starts.”
The experience has understandably shaken the Belgian triathlete.
“Within the first two hundred meters, I took a hard hit to the head and lost consciousness. Nobody saw that I was drowning until I came to in a panic, gasping for air and swallowing water. I made it to the bank by myself, where first aid monitored me for more than an hour.”
He firmly believes safety measures around mass starts need to be reconsidered. “Maybe it’s time to take a close look at this safety.”
Similar events in France have already made changes; the Alpe d’Huez Triathlon transitioned from a traditional mass start to a rolling start in 2024 to spread out the field and reduce chaos in the water.
