Man who died during Ironman competition identified as military veteran, father of 3

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV/Gray News) – The athlete who died over the weekend while competing in an Ironman triathlon has been identified as a military veteran.

The Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as 51-year-old Dax Bakken of Madison, Wisconsin.

Bakken had completed the swim portion but then needed medical attention during the bike portion of the race, which was held Sunday in Madison, organizers said.

A member of its staff and an off-duty law enforcement officer helped Bakken until medical crews arrived to take him to the hospital, where he later died.

A preliminary autopsy has been conducted to determine how he died, but the results are still pending.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support his family, noting that Bakken was the primary breadwinner for his family.

The page also said Bakken was a military veteran who served in Desert Storm during the Gulf War.

According to the page, Bakken had dreamed of competing in an Ironman race. He is survived by his life partner Kristin, their 8-year-old daughter Maeve, and two sons Finn and Liam.

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