At the 2023 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Lahti, Finland, American triathlete Lionel Sanders was disqualified on the 90 km bike leg for crossing on imaginary double yellow line. A race official judged that he crossed the center line of the road while passing his competitors. This center line was not painted on the road, but the official ruled that he should have known in his mind where the imaginary yellow line was as the cyclists were barreling down the road in the middle of rolling hills.
Sanders explains his version of the disqualification below:
To his credit, Sanders ended the video with the encouraging words, “Let’s work together to make our sport better.”
His perspective and advice are well taken and should be followed.
In a similar vein, World Aquatics has been constantly changing, upgrading, and improving its open water swimming rules for the 5 km and 10 km solo races and the 6 km 4-person relays. See World Aquatic rules and regulations on pages 180-219 here.
But there are two words buried within the 39 pages of detailed rules that have yet to be meticulously detailed. The words are “intentional” and “unsporting” and are purposefully meant to give the Chief Referee and the Assistant Referees sufficient room for objective or subjective judgment on the infractions.
Under 5.3 Disqualification Procedures, the rule 5.3.1 states as follows: “If in the opinion of the Chief Referee or Referees, any competitor, or competitor’s approved representative, or escort safety craft, takes advantage by committing any violation of the rules or by making intentional contact with any competitor, the following procedure shall apply:
5.3.1.1 1st Infringement:
A yellow flag and a card bearing the competitor’s number shall be raised to indicate and to inform the competitor that she/he is in violation of the Rules.
5.3.1.2 2nd Infringement:
A red flag and a card bearing the competitor’s number shall be raised by the Referee (III.3.1.6) to indicate and to inform the competitor that she/he is for the second time in violation of the Rules. The competitor shall be disqualified.
5.3.2 If in the opinion of a Referee, an action of a competitor or an escort safety craft, or a competitor’s approved representative is deemed to be ‘unsporting’ the Referee shall disqualify the competitor concerned immediately. She/He must leave the water immediately and be placed in an escort craft and take no further part in the race.
So what is intentional contact? What is unsporting?
What do these words mean? How should they be interpreted in real time during a world championship race or Olympic 10K Marathon Swim?
Let’s consider this physicality that was captured by photographer Javier Blazquez in the 5 km race at the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Championships in Seville, Spain. The swimmer in the center of the scrum was American Christine Jennings (with dark goggles and a white swim cap). She was surrounded by German Olympian Angela Maurer (with a black swim cap and black swimsuit) on her left, Australian Olympian Melissa Gorman (with a white swim cap and dark goggles) on her right, and Brazilian Olympic medalist Poliana Okimoto (with the green swim cap and green goggles) behind her.
As Jenning was swimming in the midst of the large lead pack, Gorman’s left hand is pressing down on Jenning’s head while it appears Maurer is bearing into Jenning on her left, and Okimoto is swimming over Jenning’s lower body.
Are these actions intentional or unintentional? Are these examples of impeding or unsporting behavior?
Traditionally and according to World Aquatics rules, the answer could be yes, maybe, or no.
It depends on the referee and his or her judgment of the situation.
But more fundamentally, how can a referee know the intention of a swimmer during a competitive race? The referees are asked to make split-second decisions in real time (without the benefit of a video replay) about what an athlete is intending (thinking). That seems to us as an impossible task.
There are nearly always examples of these difficult calls towards the finish of a race or around turn buoys.
Another example of when Alex Meyer of the USA and Valerio Cleri of Italy zigzagged back and forth towards the finish of the 25 km race at the 2010 World Open Water Swimming Championships in lac St-Jean, Canada. Meyer eventually won in 5 hours 32 minutes 39.38 over Cleri in 5 hours 32 minutes 40.40, but Cleri was clearly trying to impede Meyer’s path to the finish as seen in the video of the finish courtesy of Mohamed Marouf who was in the stands at the finish of lac St-Jean:
Etienne Couture also captured the final sprint from the official’s boat. The two men zig-zagged over the course. Steven Munatones recalled, “I was on the finish pontoon as a FINA official and swam the two men swim all over the course. Meyer swam without a swim cap on and Cleri wore a white swim cap with Petar Stoychev coming in third.”
Difficult, difficult calls.
Examples of physicality in open water swimming includes bumping, impeding, scratching, pulling [on legs or arms], cutting off, veering into, tapping or touching [repeatedly], slapping, clipping, conking, swiping, whacking, pulling off [goggles or swim caps], obstructing, ziplining, interfering, pummeling, nudging, punching, kicking, elbowing, pushing, jostling, shoving, crowding, banging [against], smacking, pull backs, smashing into or pressing against another athlete, shoreline, river bank, turn buoy, feeding station, escort boat, kayaker, paddler or other fixed or moving objects.
© 2023 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
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