Appears so.

Yes.

Go to the Sebi thread just below here, talking about the current race, and yes it was cancelled..

Thank you

I was there yesterday and the water was a lot more calm then it was for the 3 days prior. The 7:10am start time was delayed 30 minutes, but I think that was more because they were behind schedule since they opened transition late. At 7:20, after they bused us to the start (point to point swim), they announced/confirmed "There will be swimming today." At 7:47, a couple minutes after the pros were to start, the swim was cancelled. We were then bussed back to T1. I personally spent 90 minutes baking in the sun with no food or water waiting in line to start the bike, which I started at 9:53am. I am not exactly sure why the swim was cancelled, it's an ocean, there was light waves. I did Kona 2022, and if yesterday is the new standard for unsafe swimming conditions then the Kona swim will always be cancelled.

Same here. I am completely devastated by what Ironman did. I am a fairly good swimmer and count on my water abilities to put ground between my rivals and me. It was nonsense. I was ready to fight for the KQ (which I have achieved in every single IM since 2019, but declined due to family and work schedules). But on Sunday I DNF because the race was not a triathlon. And now I have no guarantee that in every OW swim of any IM, unless the ocean is as flat as a glass table, we will be swimming.
Ironman is becoming a race for those who not train rather than for true athletes. What I saw here in Cozumel was more likely a carnival parade than a triathlon competition. So I guess Ironman is not for me. It doesn’t provide the challenge I train for.

---

STRAVA INSTAGRAM

Sorry you had a bad day but wouldn't the swim being cancelled make the day a harder challenge for you then an easier one??? and therefore you had the opportunity to be challenged and it just didn't work out for you???

---

Technique will always last longer then energy production. Improve biomechanics, improve performance.
http://Www.anthonytoth.ca, triathletetoth@twitter

Not much ocean chop , although the wind was from the NW ( unusual) .The harbour had been closed for 2 days. The typical current had shifted from north to south , to the reverse. And I.M is dealing with big issues after 2 recent swim deaths at I.M. Ireland ( Cork ). You're right - the almost 3 hour delay until the bike TT start was very draining for me and others I talked to.

I see your point, but that’s not it. You see, there are many ways I could’ve make the day more challenging: take only one gel like Dan Plews although I have training on a full carbohydrate regime; not ride my TT bike although I’ve training full time on it; swim the 3.8 km butterfly instead of freestyle… etc. But I am a competitor. A triathlon competitor. I train for and do triathlons. Other things no.
Think of Kipchoge, that 10 minutes before the start of the Berlin Marathon they change the race to a 3km steeplechase race… just to make it more “challenging”. Or that to Kilian Jornet, right before the Mont Blanc UTM, they change the race to a flat 30km run… no doubt more challenging for him as it is not his specialty. I can give you many examples and I am sure you can think of many more also. So the point was not to make the ironman distance “more” challenging. It was just to make it a true ironman. Nothing more. Nothing less. Other race formats are that, “other” races. Not a triathlon. Not an ironman. And the whole issue comes here because the ocean conditions were not a true reason to cancel the swim. Any one that was there that morning could agree on that. Of course, if you are not a swimmer or if you don’t care about triathlons, you would be very happy for not having to swim. But if you train for an ironman with an open water swim leg, a little choppy waters shouldn’t put your life at risk. We are talking that there was no hurricane or storm. Or a huge swell. The “strong current” excuse is unsustainable and unbelievable, because most of us there swam the days before, with much more worse conditions, and nothing happened.
What happened in Cozumel was not an ironman triathlon, was a carnival parade. And if you were there, you know what I’m talking about.
Cheers.

---

STRAVA INSTAGRAM

Yup I know you are frustrated and rightfully so.

Agree that it sucks not being able to perform your day due to circumstances but that’s kind of the nature of an Ironman get ready for something to go south and try to overcome it?

---

Technique will always last longer then energy production. Improve biomechanics, improve performance.
http://Www.anthonytoth.ca, triathletetoth@twitter

I was close to the front waiting for the swim to start and the info from some spanish speaking athletes who were also there was that it was not Ironman’s call on whether or not the swim would happen. It was the local authorities (the “Port Captain?) who got to make the decision. That is, the local experts are the ones people should be upset with, not Ironman.
That’s probably the best thing for most people in the race. Like others, I’d have been happy to get in the water and go for it. But I’m not an expert on the currents in that area, so it’s best if I trust those who are.

20 years in this sport has taught me that many “Ironmen” are for some reason the least well equipped, at least emotionally, to deal with adversity or change on race day.

Ironman has made their event for the worse athletes.

Ironman was once the hardest one day sporting event you could do.

It’s no Longer that. A real shame.

Do you think it’s not hard anymore Because

You don’t go for the bigger goal?

Technology and science has made the race variables easier to control.

The technology helped increase speed without having to have skill or ability?

The courses are easier ?

Or lastly you have been around so much that it seems like a normal day to day activity vs what you once thought of it, like driving or working.

---

Technique will always last longer then energy production. Improve biomechanics, improve performance.
http://Www.anthonytoth.ca, triathletetoth@twitter

I would wager to say that IM is the most "invested" event many people do in their lives (within athletic feats likely). I would say it's "normal" if they get slightly pissed off / discouraged / bitch when it seems like a canceld leg is done when it seems like it's due to the weakest athletes. I would also suggest that most athletes then move on about their day and do their race.

I would also say how someone handles the "obstacles" on race day and how they discuss it online after are very different.

---

Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

I get being disappointed. I'd be disappointed too. But if you can't get over a canceled swim, what the hell you gonna do when your stomach shuts down 4 miles into the run. Or you get 3 flats and only had two tubes.

And the people complaining here at least appear to be fairly highly experienced racers, lamenting the watering down of what used to apparently give them some identity. They're not saying they're disappointed, they're calling out RDs for making Ironman too easy. And here it's documented the port was closed for a couple hours as the race started. That call is made by the harbormaster and is always a risk in Coz in November (they even have a name for the condition). No boats... no race... no matter if you are a :50 or 2:00 swimmer. Nothing to do with catering to a specific athlete.

I mean look above. Once the "hardest one day" event? Hardly

But doesn’t everyone get over it after disappointment? I’ve never met 1 person pack up after a swim is cancelled. I’m guessing you haven’t either or maybe you have with your comments. I’ve seen people disappointed (and excited for cancelled swims) but I’ve yet to see someone quit because of it.

It’s complete CYA whether that’s ultimately from the RD or the safety procedures who makes the final call. There is no downside to defaulting canceling vs doing a swim in “adverse” conditions from a race decision standpoint. Zero reason to even attempt a swim anymore these days. Just cancel it and force the racers to deal with it, and if you don’t think that’s due to how shitty we are at race prep now, cool. I just ain’t buying that reasoning. I just think what today is “adverse” conditions is not what actually is adverse most of the time in todays tri.

---

Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

First tri 2004 have never had a canceled swim (unless you count IMCA where it was all canceled when we were in transition). And I mostly race on the west coast in the ocean thru surf. I’ve raced in plenty of “adverse conditions” and that has not really changed IME since I started. Only change I’ve seen is Oceanside reverting to the harbor swim (where it was for years and years originally)

But would I pack up and go if it was? No. Wouldn’t be happy as I am a swimmer but you race the course they give you.

But again (and I’ve also dived coz for years so am very familiar with November conditions and nortes) the harbormaster closed the harbor meaning no boats could legally go out. From this info (if accurate and knowing people that live there I believe it is) not a CYA at all (I mean unless one falls for conspiracy theories and thinks IM somehow convinced the HM to shut down Cozumel’s most lucrative on the water businesses….). ETA - closure is for boats < 30 foot

Anyway aside from way too many parentheses, I get that it's fashionable to rag on how easy Ironmans are now (except for CA with a stupid swim--- 36 minutes? ) /shrug

40 years of trials

1 swim canceled. Before anyone had a wetsuit

Lake Ontario. Water temp was in the 40s

I don't think it's ragging on IM. I think it's stating the obvious. More and more races are having swim cancelled for *whatever* reason. If you think they are all valid, awesome. I don't necessarily think it's always valid, as I think more and more the default is to err on the side of safety. I mean by default when you say it's "safety" you can't really argue against that. Like no duh if the harbormaster won't allow safety boats, you can't have the swim. Or if your local LG's who are 17 year old kids from the local municpale pool can't operate a paddleboard in 1 foot chop, then of course you cancel the swim. Again there's no downside to canceling it in today's society.

---

Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Or they don’t cancel it, and we have the IM Cork discussion all over again.

I’m not a fast swimmer, but I’m generally pretty comfortable in the water in the “I’m really unlikely to drown out here” sense, and I’m of the personal opinion that we as athletes need to be better about saying “I’m not comfortable with that”, self-selecting out and taking the DNS if we’re not appropriately prepared for the swim conditions on the day. And yes, that’s not the Slowtwitch crowd, by and large, and yes, I’ve said the same thing on Reddit where the “OMG, I just signed up for my first triathlon and it’s an Ironman and it’s in two weeks and I’ve never swum more than 10 yards before!” crowd lives.

But damn, it’s fairly obviously not the RD or Ironman or anybody’s fault if the local authorities won’t let you put boats in. If that’s not a legitimate reason to cancel a swim, what the hell is?

Well of course, if you can't have safety personal in the water your not going to have a swim. But I think that's sorta my point. You have races all across the country that's local safety authorities range from "professional" waterman to the local yoco LG's. So cool, this race should have been cancelled. Cool.....you think every swim that gets cancelled should actually be cancelled? That's where I question, but again when it's a "safety" issue, that decision is basically non-negotiable. You think of all the races all over the US, how many have LG's that are just from the local pool and who are just volunteering (paid) to do it. Sure they may have 1-2 professional fire/safety boats out there, but the majority of LG's at most races are just your run of the mill LG's. Most don't have "open water" LG experience, so when it's 1 foot wind chop and they can't stay on the stand up paddleboard, guess what.....cancel the swim. And again it's an easy call to make these days, why even take the chance anymore when as you put it, I think we've lost a lot of personal accountability for ourselves. We are reliant on others and not able to truly make smart decisions and be ok to say, "I'm not ready"....But again there is a ton of pressure when you are talking about people investing tons of money/time into these events.

So I think what is "adverse" conditions in today's climate is just different than what it was in the past. And no I'm not trying to go all high and mighty because I do think there are times when a swim needs to be cancelled; again if there is no safety boats or the harbor has been closed for a week.....no brainer decision.

I just think we now are kinda having to pay for our sins so to speak. It's the good with the bad. Fantastic that IM and triathlon is so accessible, yet the downside is that we now basically have a culture that lacks real personality accountability. And I think we default to cancelling a swim at any potential "adverse" conditions too often. But again I can understand why in the culture we live in now. And many times you have people drowing who aren't the ones out there without real training for it. People are having medical issues that they can't simply get proper help from in an aquatic environment, so you add that element, hell we seemingly are fortunate to have swims.

---

Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

What utter rubbish.

Huh. You should meet some bad ass California lifeguards. Must be different from the middle of the country or wherever you’re posting from