Organisers of the Noosa Triathlon in Queensland were forced to cancel the swimming leg of the world's largest Olympic-distance triathlon following shark sightings at Noosa Main Beach.
Sharks Disrupt Iconic Event
The disruption began on Saturday when sharks were spotted offshore, prompting a temporary beach closure and an initial plan to shorten the swim to roughly one kilometre in the shallows. However, just before the race commenced early Sunday morning, surf lifesavers scheduled to monitor the water refused to enter following a fresh sighting at first light.
Consequently, organisers announced on social media that they could not deploy water safety personnel due to marine life, officially scrapping the swim. The traditional triathlon was successfully converted into a duathlon, beginning with an added 5km run, followed by the standard 40km cycle and 10km run.
Matt Hauser claimed victory in the elite category with a time of 1:39:34, successfully defending his title from the previous year.
