I think both require an all around athlete. The training is what changes. Non-draft is much more of a "tempo" ride but draft requires the ability to quickly recover from surges. Living in flagstaff, I've gotten to see amazing athletes from all over the world train here for both. They all seem super human to me. Biggest difference is their training.

At this point we can't separate the quality of competition from the styles.

Draft-legal gets the best all around young athletes, that's where the money and depth of competition is. So whether or not one style is more conducive to being an all rounder - the best all rounders are in fact in draft legal racing right now.

So while to my eyes in a level playing field of equally talented depth pools olympic distance non-draft requires strength in all three disciplines - it doesn't matter because the depth pools are not close to equal. We will continue to see draft legal folks come over and do well in non-drafting races when their olympic dreams are over.

That's my take from the sidelines.

Hard to say what' "all round" means but non-draft needs a strong TT'er with good steady power output and good position.

Draft legal racing requires people wtih a "kick" in their legs and are not easily shaken off.

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Let me preface this by saying I've only done one DL race

DL takes a good swimmer with good bike skills and a solid run.

In no draft you can hide your weak sport a little bit more.

jaretj

If triathlon is made up of swimming, cycling & running, and the best all around athlete has the best skills and fitness of all three of those sports, then by definition, the ITU and draft-legal style of racing will yield that, sort of athlete.

Not too take anything away from non-draft racing, but the cycling leg is really just a hybrid of the ITT, and the time-trial, which is a sub-discipline, of the whole sport of road cycling. Non-draft triathletes, if they have grown up in the sport and that's all they do, are often very good mid to long distance time-trialers, because that's what they have to do.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

The skill set to race DL is much, much higher than the skill set to race non drafting races. This is especially true as the non drafting races become longer.

The pro triathlete who gets into the sport to race LC and is successful at it on the international level without a DL background is becoming extinct.

The infusion of former ITU racers has changed the sport of long distance triathlon, most drastically at the 70.3 distance but also at the IM distance.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
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the best athlete will be an aquathlete ... one who can swim and run. Most on ITU circuit come with no bike experience and pick it up easy. The bike is in our sport because it is the highest source of income for vendors

First define "all around athlete" clearly and robustly, then I will answer.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

As someone mentioned, in DL, your weaknesses will be amplified. You swimming a running skills in particular will be amplified. Swim & run weaknesses will be obvious. You typically can't make up or gain as much time on the bike. But you can turn the screws on your opponent and tactically, hurt their run. A stronger and more importantly a smarter cyclist will run better off the bike. Also, being exceptional on the swim or bike, won't help, if you can't run well. But a strong swimmer can benefit as they can make the back of a lead pack that they would never be able to bike with in ITT.

On the flip side, it makes secondary skills like cornering, and general bike handling much more important and even on the run, you might need to put in surges to break you opponents.

The swimming is so minimized in DL triathlon.

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The bike is in our sport because of tautology.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Agree. The best and most skilled triathletes are racing draft legal events because of the Olympics. They are not the best and most skilled triathletes because they can draft on the bike.

Thats just not true. Many of the Spaniards and Portuguese had cycling backgrounds also. Draft legal cycling is not necessarily easy to pick up. Good ITU athletes are not weak in any area, period.

I coach an ITU pro and the skill and fitness needed is insane, as mentioned every weakness is amplified, not just sport weakness, but skill inside of a sport. Those are amplified and exploited by other athletes, when possible. For example, my guy is a reasonably fast runner but not great at speed changes/surges on the run, it gets exploited.