have been trying to locate a rule book for open water swimming but figure I would just post my question... its been about 3 years since my last open water swim and I remember that it is totally legal to run as far as you can into the water to start and even do dolphin dives if possible.
My question is: if for some reason there is a point on the course where we can touch, is it legal to touch the bottom and even do some dolphin dives?
(i know some of you might see this as cheating but i really just want to know if its legal according to USMS).
Former Member
I may be wrong and I'm a relative newbie to USMS open water races (I'm a reformed triathlete), but at a USMS sanctioned race this past weekend they told us that what you mentioned was legal according to USAT rules, but not according to USMS rules. Someone who knows better might want to chime in. :)
The current rules are here:
www.usms.org/.../part3.pdf
I only had time to scan it quickly but I don't see anything that prohibits "dolphin dives." There are general prohibitions against violating race rules (ie set by the race director) and receiving "unauthorized assistance."
I would definitely check with the race director beforehand. Possibly with a copy of the rule book in hand, because sometimes the race directors are wrong...I went to a race last year where we were told to remove our watches even though Rule 303.6.6 clearly states that they may be worn in OW competition.
That's an interesting question that I've never thought about. Obviously running into the beach and walking up the beach seems like cheating--and probably should be. I've had race directors answer this question in pre-race briefings. In the Bermuda Around the Sound, they told us that you could stand at the feed stations. In the Cayman swim, they said you could stand but could not push off to advantage--of course they also told us that we could not draft and I think that rule might have been bent along the way by some of the other competitors.
I guess if I was designing a race, I'd say that you can't touch the bottom or use it for your advantage between the first and last buoy--presuming beach start and finish.
In USMS sanctioned events it is up to the race director to determine what contact with the bottom is legal. There is no rule prohibiting using the bottom to advantage, but many races disallow or limit this.
In dual sanctioned USA Swimming /USMS events or FINA events the FINA/USA Swimming rule prohibiting touching the bottom (except sometimes at the start and finish) prevail.
For what its worth....I swim till my hand strikes sand,..then I get up and "run" ( my knees are shot ) to the finish gate. Running in water ( seems to me) is slower than swimming in water.
Definitely ask the question if this is not covered in the pre-race meeting. I just did the 10K national championship, and it was OK to stand up, but there could be no forward progress while touching the bottom. This was a race where the start and finish were not in shallow water. I've been in plenty of races where the water at the finish was too shallow to swim in, and that rule was not in force.
