Former Welsh rugby legend Shane Williams was forced to pull out of Ironman Wales, after suffering a bike blowout during the race.
The 49-year-old, who had completed all eight of his previous attempts, was taking part in the gruelling triathlon in Tenby on Sunday, 13 September.
Shane, from the Amman Valley, took to Instagram with a post that read: "It wasn’t to be this year.
"A blowout on the bike meant I didn’t get to finish IRONMAN Wales on my 9th attempt.
"Gutted is an understatement.
"After all the training, preparation and build-up, it’s hard to take.
"But hey, it’s not the end of the world."
Shane Williams completed last year’s event in 11 hours, 55 minutes, and 42 seconds, finishing 29th in the men’s 45-49 age group.
Despite this year’s disappointment, Mr Williams remains undeterred.
He said: "The Dragon had me this year.
"But don’t worry about that mate, I’m coming again.
"Roll on number 10."
He also praised those who finished the race.
Mr Williams said: "The good thing is I got back to Tenby in one piece and got to watch some absolute legends – friends and fellow athletes – brave those brutal conditions and smash it. What a day!"
Ironman 2026's top finishers included Finland's Henrik Goesch (Men's) who completed the course in 8:31:31 and the United Kingdom's Nikki Bartlett (Women's) who finished the race in 9:45:37.
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