Two-time U.S. Olympian Sarah True collapsed while leading in the last 100-degree mile of the Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt, Germany, on Sunday.
True, who said she had a seven-minute lead, was carried off the course by four people after nine hours of racing.
She later said she could not remember the last two miles of the 140.6-mile competition (2.4-mile swim followed by a 112-mile bike and a marathon) and that the temperature was 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit).
“Sad, frustrated, a million different things,” True told Triathlonworld.com. “You never expect to be in the position where you have a seven-minute gap, and your brain doesn’t function well enough to tell you you’re struggling in the heat. Just stop and walk a little because I still would have won. When your brain goes in the heat, there’s not a lot you can do.”
True, 37, finished fourth at the 2012 Olympics, then switched to Ironman after being lapped at the Rio Games. She was fourth in her Kona Ironman World Championships debut last Oct. 13.
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Two-time U.S. Olympian Sarah True carried off the Ironman European Championship course in about 100-degree heat in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday after 9 hours of racing. She was leading by 7 minutes with a kilometer to go in the marathon, after a 2.4-mile swim and 112-mile bike. pic.twitter.com/Tc0iNEzylf
— Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) July 1, 2019
