Al Trautwig, Long-Time Voice of IRONMAN Kona Broadcasts, Passes Away
Al Trautwig, known to most triathletes as the long-time narrator of IRONMAN’s NBC Kona broadcasts, has died. He was 68.
Trautwig died Sunday at his home in New York due to complications from cancer.
Perhaps Trautwig’s greatest call while working IRONMAN broadcasts was during Normann Stadler’s meltdown over flat tires at the 2005 IRONMAN World Championships.
Trautwig was a major component of international broadcasts for more than three decades. In addition to his work on the IRONMAN broadcasts, Trautwig worked 16 Olympic Games, including as the main play-by-play announcer for gymnastics from 2000 to 2016. He also covered multiple Tour de Frances during his career.
Locally, Trautwig was staple of New York broadcasts, working for MSG Network and covered the Rangers, Yankees, and Knicks. His work earned him four national Emmy’s and more than 30 state awards.
Trautwig ended his broadcasting career in 2021.
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Getting into triathlon late in life in the early 2000’s his was the voice that narrated those IM WC races that I religiously recorded to watch on the bike trainer every year. RIP Al
Having grown up in thr NYC metro area in the 70’s and '80’s, he was a constant presence. Way too young…
Al Trautwig is the reason IM broadcast used to be better on NBC. He did a great job; iconic, in some ways
As much as we maligned Trautwig in the past , he was really just reading off the script he was given; whether it was written by someone at NBC, or it was provided by Ironman, or Al himself, or a collaboration of all
Sometimes it did feel like they were using the previous year’s transcript to start with, then change the names where appropriate. Kinda like MadLibs, where you fill in the blanks with, say, “3rd Place Finisher”
We could’ve had a pool for when in the broadcast he said “This pass …this feels permanent”
This time, it is
God bless you Al, and I apologize
Sad to hear.
It should be Tours de France and not Tour de Frances. Being a teacher I couldn’t let that one slide.
Would you accept “Tours de France’s?”
I love apostrophes; and semi-colons - even if my use thereof completely violates Strunk & White’s Elements Of Style