In a bizarre mishap at the Dubai triathlon, German athlete Mika Noodt crossed the finish line first but was later placed second due to a faulty lap counter. The 25-year-old suspected he could not have won, and after three hours, organizers corrected the results to award victory to American Morgan Pearson. The incident fits Noodt's career marked by misfortunes.
Last Saturday, a bizarre incident unfolded at the Dubai triathlon. Mika Noodt, the 25-year-old triathlete from Wolfsburg, crossed the finish line first and raised the winner's tape, but his expression showed doubt. A leading trio had accidentally completed an extra bike lap, while Noodt ran one lap too few due to a faulty lap counter. Thus, he was initially declared the winner over 2 kilometers swimming, 80 kilometers cycling, and 18 kilometers running in the T100 series.
It took organizers three hours to resolve the confusion. American Morgan Pearson was declared the winner, with Noodt finishing second for the third time. "That was the most bizarre race I've ever competed in," Noodt said afterward, appearing disillusioned.
This mishap fits Noodt's career as an unlucky figure. The talented athlete, strong on the bike and in running, won his first pro race at age 21 against star Rudy von Berg. Yet injuries have plagued his path: In October 2023, he collapsed 100 meters from the finish in France and crawled across as second. "I lost control of my legs," he explained at the time.
Shortly before a Las Vegas race, a car caused a crash at 57 kilometers per hour, injuring his hip and shoulder and costing him the Ironman in Hawaii. In 2022, a fatigue reaction in the hip-pelvis area sidelined him for months, but he placed fourth at the Ironman World Championship in Utah. In 2023, he broke his fibula, though an orthopedist was wrong in predicting he would never run marathons at top level again. Noodt fights back and could become the seventh German Hawaii winner—following Hellriegel, Stadler, Al-Sultan, Kienle, Frodeno, and Lange—if luck turns in his favor.