A series of rule changes are set to be implemented in order to make triathlon swims safer, though some will only apply to the elites.
World Triathlon, the international governing body for triathlon, announced a series of rule changes on Jan. 31, including some geared specifically to the swimming portion of the event.
In the “Swim Behaviour” section of the announcement, World Triathlon says it’s put a restriction on the length of finger and toenails “to avoid injuries,” and watches are prohibited in principle, though the Head Referee may authorize them depending on the event.
Those two changes are only for “elite races,” however, while there has been a blanket ban for elite and age group athletes alike regarding wearing jewelry in the swim.
“We have received feedback on the restrictions of wearing jewelry during the competitions,” World Triathlon said in a statement. “As it came from the athletes and for the safety of the athletes mainly during the swim, we would like to ensure that the interpretation of such rule will be clarified with further inputs from the Athletes Committee.”
Other rule changes relating to the swim include that athletes “are not allowed to push an inanimate object to propel themselves forward,” and there was also a warning relating to aggressiveness in the swim: “Where athletes dunk, punch, scratch, or kick another athlete will result in disqualification and may be reported to the World Triathlon Tribunal for potential suspension or expulsion.”
There was also an amendment to the wording of the rules regarding water quality standards in the swim:
By still ensuring the athletes’ safety, the acceptable levels of Enterococci and E. coli in swim courses have been relaxed from ‘excellent’ to ‘good.’ Importantly, the decision to cancel the swim due to water quality will now involve a collaborative assessment by a group that includes a Medical Committee representative, the Medical Delegate, and the LOC Medical Director, rather than a single individual.
The swim leg is typically regarded as the most dangerous leg of triathlons for athlete safety. According to the Global Triathlon Safety Task Force, between 2015 and 2019, 68% of race fatalities occurred during the swim, while in 2022, the number was 83%.
The biggest risk factors in the swim tend to be water temperature and weather.
Most recently, a 46-year-old man died at an Ironman 70.3 event in Indian Wells in December after going into cardiac arrest during the swim. In October, two athletes died at the Sprint World Championships in Spain, one of them after suffering difficulties in the swim.
