The Official College of Physiotherapists of the Canary Islands denounces that the organization of the Ironman Lanzarote 2023 has once again left out these health professionals.
“After several years of continuous negotiations and contacts with the different administrations and organizers of the event, both locally and internationally, even with the mediation and collaboration of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, the organization maintains its position of replacing us with unqualified personnel”, they point out from this professional association.
This Saturday, May 20, this sporting event will be held, one of the most important in the archipelago, organized by Club La Santa and which is part of a world circuit. An extreme test that includes open water swimming, cycling and running. “Until now, the runners have received assistance from students from different massage academies who lack the training and qualifications legally required for the development of the activity”, they warn.
The COFC affirms that "it has been contacting the organizers of Club La Santa Ironman Lanzarote for years with the intention of making them see the serious risk that it may entail for the health of its participants in a test of such hardness." In addition, they have issued writings to the different public administrations such as the Cabildo of Lanzarote, the Island Sports Service, the Canary Islands Triathlon Federation and the clubs integrated in said federation, as well as Public Health of the Government of the Canary Islands. Also, and with the same purpose, they have sent a letter to the Ironman Group International.
The College regrets that “the organization maintains its position of saving costs in healthcare for athletes” and that they cede this service “to unqualified chiropractors”. Unprofessional care, which not only threatens the health of athletes, but also goes against “the safety and prestige of this internationally projected test”. In this sense, they indicate that they are aware that, in previous editions and with the mediation of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, proposals have been presented to the organization by physiotherapists with companies on the island, proposals that were rejected.
Physiotherapists insist that they "are the appropriate professionals, with a university degree, who can and should act on manual muscle recovery and preventive or therapeutic massage." They also point out "that scientific evidence shows that, after a race of so many kilometers, the musculature suffers and is micro-injured, so there must be a prior individualized assessment and, if necessary, the attention or the realization and application of manual techniques, it will always be therapeutic and never for relaxation purposes."
This professional association hopes that, with this complaint, runners, both professional and amateur, will be duly informed of the type of care they will receive this weekend. Likewise, it denounces that "Ironman Lanzarote 2023 once again promotes professional intrusion by not having an authorized physiotherapy service for the post-competition recovery of the participants".
