Dirk Bockel born 18 October 1976 [1] is a professional triathlete originally from Schwaikheim, Germany. He holds Luxembourgish nationality and raced for Luxembourg in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
He led the race for over 30 minutes after he broke away from the pack during the cycling leg of the race.
He competed in his first Ironman in New Zealand in March 2009 where he placed 3rd.[2]
Dirk went on to win Ironman 70.3 Florida in May 2009, marking the first Luxembourgish to ever win an Ironman event. He crossed the finish line wearing Mickey Mouse ears.
In 2009 Dirk placed 2nd at ITU European Championships and 7th at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. This is the best result for any Luxembourg athlete in the history of triathlon.