Cancun & Drafting
Question:
A grass roots boycott of the world’s is the only way that age-group athletes can voice thier oppositin to drafting. …
This would also be extremely effective at the pro level as well. If some race director(s) are serious about this, then put on a race the same date as the ITU worlds with plenty of prize money (maybe fold sponsorship from a couple races together)… If the money and venue is attractive enough, you could attrack all the world’s best athletes, then you would have a "de facto" world championship. Maybe you’d call the race the "de facto championship"… This could be a possible topic for an upcoming race directors conference… W.Patrick Brug, Ph.D. _- -_ Los Alamos National Lab -__ __- / cis: 72410,3372 /
Response:
In reply to T. Zeibert’s suggestion of boycotting the ITU worlds. I went to Cancun. I will boycott Cleveland if other agegroupers will join me. Can anyone from RST push this?……Chuck
Response:
The main reason that the Gatorade Triathlon Series got rid of the draft legal elite division was because athlete said that they would NOT compete in draft legal races. In other words -the only real power that athletes have is in their pocket books. If US age-group athletes are seriously opposed to draft legal races the only option they have is to boycott the World Championships in Cleveland next year. The USA sent over 200 athletes to Cancun. Multiply that number by the entry fee of around $75 for the World Championship and add another $1,000 per person in travel, hotel and economic impact and you have a $15,000 decrease in entry fees for the race and around a $200,000 decrease in economic impact for the city of Cleveland. I do not know if the ITU cares about this money because they will still have their world chmpionship with or without Team USA, but I am sure that the race organizers care quite a bit. A grass roots boycott of the world’s is the only way that age-group athletes can voice thier oppositin to drafting. My bet is that most age-group athletes will go ahead and enter the race just as in Cancun and we will be in the same position as now – Alot of talk and no action. Z Tom Ziebart – Exclusive Sports Marketing
Response:
One claimed negative with Staggered Starts (hereafter SS) is that it’s likely to be less exciting. I beg to differ. Numerous other Olympic sports have staggered starts (thanks to those who mailed me on this)…
A twist on staggered starts is to have small "heats" based on swim times (fast to slowest) where a heat might comprise 2-10 athletes. Stagger heats at 20-30 sec intervals. You would have a natural spread and no pummeling over the swim course. Heck you could even be fairly fancy and have "open water swim lanes" for each competitor… Pat W.Patrick Brug, Ph.D. _- -_ Los Alamos National Lab -__ __- / cis: 72410,3372 /
Response:
The Hawaiian Ironman uses the title of World Championship. The ITU claims control on the issuance of all world championship titles in the sport of triathlon and duathlon. Because the ITU is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the international governing body of the sport, they say that to belong to the Olympic family, all world championships in triathlon and duathlon must be under the jurisdiction of ITU…
Maybe a possible solution is to find a suitable synonym for "World Championship" that would also be accepatable to IOC / ITU. World = International Intercontinental Championship = Triathlon ? (face it, too many races have championship associated with their names) Maybe change the name from "world championship" to "Ironman Championship", "Ironman International Championship" or "Ironman Intercontinental Championship"… IMH was a life of its own– best TV coverage, most spectators, probably best race… It is the ultimate quest for most triathletes. It is the true long-distance world championship even if it is not recognized by the ITU or now in the name. However, it is recognized as such by sponsors, the media and most importantly, the triathletes. The ITU really fails IMHO since they can’t get all of the world’s best athletes to their events. This single fact seems like the best political arrow to use against the ITU and their stand against drafting. I believe a concerted effort directed towards the IOC, their sponsors and the ITU’s sponsors could at least get USA Triathlon on the drafting agenda to discuss the issue… W.Patrick Brug, Ph.D. _- -_ Los Alamos National Lab -__ __- / cis: 72410,3372 /
Response:
A lot of discussion going on about drafting and the Ironman, not necessarily together. Here is some political news from Cancun and the ITU Congress. For those that are interested, I was asked to give an overview of what went on in Cancun with the politics of triathlon, and what changes of significance are in store for us. For those who are less informed, during the Duathlon and Triathlon World Championship held recently in Cancun, not only did some great racing take place, but some serious politics happened also. As president of USA Triathlon, I had the pleasure of being right in the middle of the action in both arenas. The International Triathlon Union (ITU), holds its yearly congress during the week preceding the Worlds. This year, of the 107 member countries of the ITU, nearly half (50) were in attendance. I found out first hand that just because the USA invented the sport, and even though we have the largest participation in this country, the USA is not looked upon with much admiration by the ITU. Each member country of the ITU is allowed to send up to four delegates to the congress meeting. The actual meeting should be run, you would think, under parliamentary rules. I know now that this is not the case. Nearly all of the discussions and decisions have been made prior to the meeting by the 11 member ITU Executive Board. The extent of their lobbying and their influence is remarkable, and frightening. I had no idea that our position on many issues would be met with so much opposition from the majority, due almost entirely to the negative campaigning by the ITU Executive Board. Besides all the typical political maneuvering and ego boosting, two issues stand out to me as being most important to American triathletes: Ironman and drafting. The Hawaiian Ironman uses the title of World Championship. The ITU claims control on the issuance of all world championship titles in the sport of triathlon and duathlon. Because the ITU is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the international governing body of the sport, they say that to belong to the Olympic family, all world championships in triathlon and duathlon must be under the jurisdiction of ITU. Unfortunately, since the ITU has gotten Olympic acceptance, they feel as though they can no longer tolerate, nor negotiate with any unauthorized usage of the world title. Because the Hawaiian Ironman is sanctioned and supported by USA Triathlon, the ITU holds us responsible for this problem. The ITU has passed a resolution which will ban elite athletes who participate in any self declared world championship, from competing in ITU championships. So if USA Triathlon wants to find a solution, we must do so by October 26, 1996, the next Hawaiian Ironman. I am optimistic. I am not as optimistic when it comes to the one issue which I feel is most important of all – drafting. The ITU has passed a resolution which will allow drafting to be legal in all ITU elite championships. There is no room for argument at this time. It is a done deal. If drafting is to ever be outlawed, some serious changes will have to occur. I have had extensive discussions with the athletes, race directors, officials, and the sport’s leaders. No one has been able to devise a way to eliminate drafting or control it. Until we can come up with better officiating, course design, and most of all, athlete sportsmanship, drafting will continue to plague our sport. In 1996, the USA will not only host the Olympics, but also two Triathlon World Championships (Cleveland and Muncie). There will be a lot of very important people watching how we conduct these triathlon championships. The elite race in Cleveland will be drafting legal, per ITU rules. All other races will come under the supervision and rules of USA Triathlon. Two things which USA Triathlon can possibly affect will be officiating, and to a small degree, course design. I will commit our Commissioner of Officials and USA Triathlon’s officials program to coming up with a guarantee to the athletes that those races, along with the US Championships, will have drafting controls in place. I expect that we will have to experiment with some radically new methods of officiating. One which I would like to see experimented with is the use of paintball guns, or at least some sort of marking the competitor when an infraction occurs. Anyone else have any ideas? I’d like to hear what they are. To me, this has gotten to the point of a do or die situation. Either we come up with solutions, or we accept the drafting legal format for the Olympic event and the World Championships. Rick Margiotta
Response:
[Rick Margiotta writes ..] Championships, will have drafting controls in place. I expect that we will have to experiment with some radically new methods of officiating. One which I would like to see experimented with is the use of paintball guns, or at least some sort of marking the competitor when an infraction occurs. Anyone else have any ideas? Not being from the US, but nevertheless a concerned triathlete, I am amazed at how quickly the ITU has jumped to the draft legal format instead of experimenting with one very obvious solution. Staggered starts. I’ve already mentioned it on the news before and so have others, and, thanks to a kind soul from NZ, I now have addresses of ITU and IOC folks who will shortly receive a (hopefully relatively unemotive) letter raising my concerns and suggestions. One claimed negative with Staggered Starts (hereafter SS) is that it’s likely to be less exciting. I beg to differ. Numerous other Olympic sports have staggered starts (thanks to those who mailed me on this). A SS does not need to ensure that, for the whole course, one competitor will most likely not pass another (cf XC skiing). Indeed, this is where seeding helps competition (the best starts last). On being passed by one seeded JUST higher, a competitor is not going to be content to sit in a wind shadow, as he/she has to make up a time lag. Staggered starts will also reduce drafting in the swim dramatically, and IMHO, will make attempted drafts on the bike so obvious that even a blind person could call an infringement. The conspicuous nature of a draft under such a format will also be a disincentive, as athletes would be shamed into altering their behaviour. Experimentation is what’s needed, not a cop out. The time delay ‘tween send offs would naturally have to vary depending on event distance(s). I’d suggest that there are enough International (Olympic) distance triathlons around the globe for a reasonable send off time to be determined well before Sydney 2000. I’d be surprised if it would take more than a year or two for an appropriate Olympic distance send off interval to be determined such that it all but removes drafting while still keeping the "excitement" addiction required for electron-phosphor buffs. I’m serious about this. The technology (timing gadgets) already exist. I’d even be a willing participant in the process. What I’d like to see is the ITU also being a willing participant in the experimentation, rather than copping out and (as far as I’m concerned) degrading a once honourable sport. Where will it stop? Paul Menon, Professional Officer, Dept of Computer Science, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, 124 Latrobe Street, Melbourne 3001, Victoria, Australia. ph: +61 3 9660 3209/2348 ICBM: lat 37^ 50′ S long 145^ 0′E fax: +61 3 9662 1617 WWW: http://www.cs.rmit.edu.au/Staffing/TSG/pnm.html
Response:
I don’t think there is any sport that does not have a controversy concerning rules and violations. The NFL even tried instant replay as a review for decisions without any luck. What does seem to work the best is having a well defined set of rules and letting the officials do their job. The viewers and participants may not always agree but the officials *must* be allowed to do their job and their decision is final. We have all seen plays in football that weren’t called right. Baseball umpires have been called every name in the book but they still "call ‘em the way I see ‘em". Every umpire has a different strike zone, but so what? I feel that if the rules were simple enough for everyone to understand and the athletes also understood what can happen if they don’t obey, and that the official *has* the right and duty to enforce the rules there would not be a problem. The problem has arisen because the athletes have, in some cases, put themslves above the rules and the officials have failed to use their authority to correct this situation. I don’t think I have seen a TV race where the pros have *not* been in position violation at one time or another. I don’t think I have ever seen a pro penalized for this. That’s the problem. The officials can’t catch everyone, just like every pass interference doesn’t get caught, or every foul on the basketball court. But that’s no excuse for not calling the ones that are seen. Only then will we have an argument for the ITU. They have to be shown that the rules can work. We haven’t done that yet. just my 2 cents Andrew Peabody
Response:
Good post, Rick, Paint balls is a great idea. Bring some to the next ITU Congress to shoot at ex-American ITU lapdogs also. The real issue is not how to do it, but actually doing it. There was a pack at IMH, if wholesale penalties were handed out, yes, there would be wailing on the finish line by some pros, but it wouldn’t happen again next year. We all wonder why the officials are so reluctant to hand these people penalties. Would it be too bad for the TV coverage? Hell, we don’t stop watching football because our favorite running back got a 15 yard game-costing penalty. In races we see these packs come by with a motorcycle next to them and the guy on the back saying "C’mon guys, break it up." Why don’t they just write down numbers? This stuff will stop. Especially if the eventual high-profile winner actually loses because of a time penalty. What are we, afraid that everyone won’t like us if we are tough on drafting in our races? That’s stupid. We the racers also need to clean up our act too. We don’t have to draft. There is no drafting in the USCF time trials. | Ray Plotecia | | Image Control |
Response:
The most amazing blatant drafting was in the men 20 – 29 (all started in one wave). 8 of the first 10 out of the water were from the US. They got beat on the bike because a group from Mexico & Brazil formed by 20K and were motorpacing behind a non official scooter – the "draft marshalls" didn’t even ask the motor scooter to get off the course. small wonder why Mexican athletes swept the 20-24 prizes and won the 24-29. Pretty amazing that there were NO drafting violations cited in the entire race…it is impossible that the marshalls would not call some of the blatant packs without some direction from the race director or ITU personnel (IMHO) –rjr
Response:
Interesting contrast between the posting by John Valentine
Filed under: Lobbying
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