Ironman racer hit by car, finishes triathlon in 2nd place
In a video posted to his Instagram page, world-renowned French triathlete Vincent Luis said while competing Sunday in the Indian Wells - La Quinta Ironman Race, he was "hit by a car."
Luis said he had already completed the first portion of the triathlon, the swim, and exited the water and transitioned to his bike in first place, a minute ahead of the next racer.
"I was leading the race and with maybe 15 km (9.3 mi) to go; the lead car took a wrong turn and I got hit by a car, hit the deck pretty hard. It was tough," he said.
The video shows Luis's arms battered and blood visible on his face. He said he jumped back on his bike with the only goal of reaching the finish line.
He still had miles to bike and a half-marathon running portion of the race ahead of him.
Despite his injuries, Luis crossed the finish line with a time of 03:41:07, taking home the silver medal.
In a statement to News Channel 3, Ironman wrote in part:
"We are very thankful that Vincent’s injuries were not serious, and that despite the challenges faced, he overcame adversity to still finish in second place with a very gritty performance. We are in contact with Vincent to support him how we are able and wish him a speedy recovery.”
News Channel 3 reached out to local police who were involved in the race has not heard back. Ironman said it is working with local authorities to determine exactly how the collision occurred.
Luis came just 2 minutes 48 seconds behind the first place winner. He said in the future, barring extenuating circumstances, he may be going for the gold.
