Can we talk about this rule (303.3 I think)? Anyone who was there, whether you voted yea or nay, can you please explain your thinking?
At first blush, I don't like that it passed. But I'd like to know what it really means for the future of OWS in USMS events.
On the broader issue, I think mjtyson has said it best. The expectation that someone swim from point A to point B as a condition of the race is not being elitist.
By way of example and elaborating on the more narrow issue of touching the ground, I often swim some OWS that are tacked on to triathlon events. The event coordinator told me that he knows there are precious few OWS in our area, and because he already has a course and equipment laid out, he adds a 3K and a 5K swim to his multi-distance triathlon/duathlon events. I swim the 5K's almost never missing one. In his format, we 5K's go off with the 1/3 Tri's. As it is a circuit, I will encounter swimmers in all tri distances including Olympic, Sprint, and Beginner. Often the shore side of the rectangular course is through hip deep water. I swim. But often I'm navigating Sprint and Beginner triathletes who are walking. It's annoying. If they're going to do that, just run on the shore.
One of my favorite swims is Swim to the Moon. On that course, there is a channel that depending on lake levels can be only shin deep. At that point, there is only to stand up and walk until one can at least sink a pull deep enough to swim.
On the broader issue, I think mjtyson has said it best. The expectation that someone swim from point A to point B as a condition of the race is not being elitist.
By way of example and elaborating on the more narrow issue of touching the ground, I often swim some OWS that are tacked on to triathlon events. The event coordinator told me that he knows there are precious few OWS in our area, and because he already has a course and equipment laid out, he adds a 3K and a 5K swim to his multi-distance triathlon/duathlon events. I swim the 5K's almost never missing one. In his format, we 5K's go off with the 1/3 Tri's. As it is a circuit, I will encounter swimmers in all tri distances including Olympic, Sprint, and Beginner. Often the shore side of the rectangular course is through hip deep water. I swim. But often I'm navigating Sprint and Beginner triathletes who are walking. It's annoying. If they're going to do that, just run on the shore.
One of my favorite swims is Swim to the Moon. On that course, there is a channel that depending on lake levels can be only shin deep. At that point, there is only to stand up and walk until one can at least sink a pull deep enough to swim.
