NYC Tri Swim requirements

Scott Alexander

Looks like NYC Tri is doing something to decrease the chances of swim-related deaths at their race:

triathlon.competitor.com/2011/12/ne...ment_44539

Discuss...

[Deleted User]

Interesting move, but I doubt it'll significantly change how people will prepare. I guess the requirement can easily be satisfied by doing another tri swim within the past 18 months though. I think the bigger issue is that people don't always take these agreements seriously. After all, when was that last time any of us actually read the entire text of a waiver/terms of agreement/etc before checking off the box?

Paul Hough

I agree with Anson. It just adds more to an already long waiver that I don't read anyway. If they want it to get attention, they need to include it as a second waiver, and when you initial that you read it, a video pops up showing a mock swim fatality (or perhaps the real ones without showing faces or giving names). Otherwise, it's just yadda, yadda.

jhbinsc

Totally ridiculous and worthless. Invented by some lawyer to add another layer of legal protection , real or imagined, to the corporation.

coop6

Sticking it in the waiver that no ones reads is just an attempt to satisfy the lawyers and mitigate the legal consequences when things go bad. The information needs to be on the website within the course description, assuming most people at least check out the course before they sign up. If there is an aspect of the course that is tougher than the average race, it's wise to point that out so people can be prepared, or not sign up.
If I remember correctly, the swimmers that died were experienced athletes. The swim requirement may reduce DNF's, or help people have a better day, but that's about the only potential benefit I can see. But even that's a stretch.

mgraffeo

Not likely to change anything, but nothing wrong with suggesting to people that a swim in an Oly tri is not their first open water swim...

Paul Hough

@ Sarah - the swimmers that died were NOT expererienced TRIathletes. One was a 40 year old woman who was participating in only her 2nd triathlon. Reports indicate she was a good indoor pool swimmer, but lacked open water experience. The other was a 64 year old man. He was a runner, but DC Rainmaker could not find any previous triathlon finishes to his name. Both died of heart attacks. Doesn't matter if they were experienced athletes, the key is that they were not experienced TRIatheletes. That doesn't make it any less tragic, but certainly more understandable.

coop6

Thanks for the clarification Paul. I remember reading that she had quite a bit of swim experience, but obviously missed the fact that this was only her second tri. I'm not sure what distance her first tri was, but assuming she met the swim distance requirement guideline it did not result in a better outcome for her.

Paul Hough

@ Sarah - her 1st triathlon was a SheRox with only a 1/4 mile swim. That's a big leap up. Also, an experienced pool swimmer might just mean that she was a regular, not that she was any good. The older man who was a runner wasn't even entered as a triathlete...he was just doing the swim for a relay team. Makes me wonder if he got the short straw on a team made up of 3 runners of which he was the slowest so relegated to the swim.  Again, I feel terrible for their families.  I've had one panic attack in 5 years of triathlon so I know that the possibility exists even if you do have extensive open water experience.