Israeli Triathlete Shachar Sagiv Withdraws from Beijing World Cup
Israeli Olympic triathlete Shachar Sagiv withdrew from the Beijing World Cup due to extreme cold and torrential rain. He aims to bounce back next week in South Korea.
Shachar Sagiv, Israel's leading Olympic triathlete from Maccabi Tel Aviv, failed to finish the World Cup event in Beijing early Saturday morning, held on the same course used during the 2008 Olympic Games.
The competition, featuring a 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike ride, and 10-kilometer run, took place amid intense cold and torrential rain.
After a slow swim leaving him a minute behind the lead pack, Sagiv began the cycling leg. Following two strong laps where he cut the gap to half a minute, extreme cold began taking a severe toll on him during the third lap. Sagiv felt unable to continue, stopped by the roadside suffering from bodily pain, and withdrew.
"There were past races held in harsh weather that worked out. Today it didn't go well. My body wouldn't let me continue," Sagiv described.
Next Saturday, Sagiv will compete in another World Cup event in South Korea, this time over a sprint distance of 750 meters swimming, 20 kilometers cycling, and 5 kilometers running.
