Out of fairness to Chris, I will run his response to me in entirety:
"Firstly, I would like to say that I am extremely disappointed, not to mention extremely agitated, that you have gone ahead and written such rubbish about myself, my health, my career and my sponsors, without first checking up on the facts. You have not only jeopardized my relationship with Gatorade, but also their integrity. If it is your 'duty' as you stated, to get questions answered, then surely it is your duty to also get the correct facts before writing anything. I also detest the fact that you are directly challenging my personal integrity, by stating that I am lying to my sponsors.
The fact that I have had most of my sponsors with me throughout a very turbulent career is surely a testament to my relationships with people who are not only sponsors, but now close friends."
"The initial press release put out by Ironman Australia media, which seems to be the original source of all this saga, with the so-called quote from my wife, was not only a misquote, it was a 'made-up' quote, as there was no interview between my wife and the reporter in question, post the race. If you had cared to look at the bottom of the second press release, which you have also referred to, then you will see that it says that my wife was misquoted."
"The main issue that needs to be clarified here is that my PFO and subsequent respiratory problems have absolutely NOTHING to do with dehydration or any of my intestinal/nutrition problems in Kona 1997 or since. They are two completely separate medical issues, which are in NO way linked."
"If you care to look back over the interview we had last year, I stated:
Q: How soon did you know during that race that things weren't going well?
Chris: I knew from the beginning things weren't going well. I had an average swim and was still in the race at that point, but once I got on the bike, I couldn't keep anything down. At about the halfway point on the bike, I was six minutes behind the pack. I put my head down and worked myself back to the lead group, but every time I would try to eat or drink, I would vomit it up. I got off the bike in second place, but with 12 miles to go, I really started to deteriorate. I was zigzagging my way through trying to get to the end."
"As I said, it was purely a case of dehydration. I was vomiting from the beginning of the day and couldn't keep anything down. After 8 hours of vomiting and not being able to put anything back in, I was of course going to be diabolically dehydrated. When I presented to the hospital, my intestines were gangrenous, a direct consequence of the dehydration and NOTHING to do with a PFO, which at that stage had not even been diagnosed."
So, knowing what you gained from my interview, I am still at a loss as to how you can call into question the integrity and foundations of the commercial.
In answer to your questions:
1. When did you first find out about your PFO? How did you discover this? If echocardiogram, had you had echos before. If not, why not?
I first found out about the PFO in 2001. I found out about it during a routine medical examination for an insurance policy, via a stress echocardiogram.
2. How much did the people at Gatorade and your other sponsors know about your condition after you found out? It seems like it was kept pretty quiet.
"When I first discovered the PFO in 2001, I was told by the doctor that it was a fairly common issue, with approximately 25% of the population having one. I asked if there was any need for concern or further treatment, and he stated that issues could only arise if I was to scuba dive, other than that, I would lead a perfectly normal life. It was never mentioned to anyone and there was no 'keeping it quiet,' because it had never been a problem in my life. There was no need to mention it to GSSI, as I was there to try and find answers to the problems I was experiencing with my nutrition and dehydration issues. Something that was not linked in ANY way to my PFO.
When the respiratory problems occurred in Coeur d'Alene last year, it was only the third time it had surfaced in over 200 events, and so I sought further medical intervention immediately. It was only then determined that there may in fact be a link between the PFO and my BREATHING problems. Once again, I must say, NOTHING to do with my previous dehydration and intestinal issues."
"You state that my cover was blown last week after racing IMOZ, when in fact all of my sponsors, GSSI included were aware of the problems after CDA last year. Prior to IMOZ, all of my sponsors were aware of the fact that if I was to have further respiratory problems, that I would retire from racing Ironman events and focus on shorter distance races."
"Please refer to The Australian newspaper article dated 15th Feb 2006, where I stated: "Because of the problem, Legh has two racing plans this year. PLAN A: is a successful race in Port MacQuarie and then a return in October to the Hawaiian Ironman. PLAN B: if the PFO returns during Port MacQuarie, will be to bypass Hawaii and focus on half-Ironman races and other shorter triathlons. Clearly there was no hiding of my condition, as The Australian is one of our country's largest newspapers."
3. This is a quote from your wife in a recent publication..."When he gets dehydrated, it causes the blood to thicken and leak into his lungs causing him to vomit blood and reduce his lung capacity." How much do you believe your dehydration problems were linked to your diet and sweating versus your PFO problem?
"As I said in my introduction, this supposed "quote" from my wife, was not only a misquote, it was a made-up quote! She didn't speak to the journalist, let alone make that statement. My wife is medically trained, and anyone who is medical surely knows that it is impossible to vomit up anything that has somehow leaked into your lungs!!! Once again, there was no dehydration issues whatsoever in the Australian Ironman, and I was coughing up blood, due to pulmonary oedema, not vomiting it. As Doctor Bob Sallis told you, the two issues are completely unrelated."
"Since my testing at the GSSI, I have not had one issue with nutrition, dehydration, vomiting or stomach bloating in over 50 events, located in the jungles of Borneo, the tropics of Thailand, the heat of Mexico, to the lavafields of Hawaii. Whereas, prior to the testing, it was my standard joke amongst friends that there were two certainties in Ironman racing, that my left shoulder was covered in vomit and my right shoe filled with pee. So, again, I know 100% that there is absolutely no link between my dehydration and PFO problems."
4. Your Gatorade commercial obviously focused on your great win at Coeur d'Alene in 2004, thanks in part to a dehydration strategy. Some will say that this calls into question Gatorade's work with you since it might have been less about hydration than we might have thought. In all honesty, did your work at GSSI allow you to be less dehydrated or did it vary race to race -- as it seemed to have -- because of your unknown condition?
Knowing what you know now, how would you view your Gatorade commercial? Do you think it could ever run again, knowing that there might have been other things involved with your breakdown in Kona that day other than dehydration?
"Of course dehydration levels are going to vary from race to race, as conditions obviously change!
GSSI set me a protocol, which varies accordingly, and as I stated above, I have had no dehydration issues since. I am proud of my Gatorade commercial. Its foundations and the integrity of Gatorade and the GSSI are completely intact as I say for the final time, there was nothing further involved with my Kona breakdown, other than dehydration!!!!"
"In closing, I would like to express my sincerest thanks to the staff at Gatorade and GSSI for keeping me on the road. My career would have been over long ago and a lot more painful without them. There is a reason they are the number one selling sports drink in the world.......Cheers to some great racing ahead."
I've reviewed all the sites that Gatorade will have its Endurance Formula at and there's definitely something missing -- ultramarathons. I'm wondering if those at Gatorade are steering away from these races because they are kind of for people that will admit themselves are freaks of nature. Take Dean Karnazes, for example. His book, "Ultramarathon Man," is an unbelievable tale of this guy that runs like Forrest Gump. Anyway, Karnazes is doing this racing tour called the North Face Endurance Challenge. Beginning on Sept. 17, he'll start his tour of 50 marathons in 50 straight days. It's obviously sponsored by North Face, but the drink sponsor is Cytomax. I'm wondering what the negotiations were and if Gatorade was at all interested. Karnazes is, after all, the ultimate endurance athlete on the planet. He ran 350 miles continuously in 80 hours and 44 minutes.
