Also, to further on this post, it is not that he is only now jumping on this. They have been fighting this since day one with no real give and take from the ITU.
The initial rule was put in place without any consultation with Aaron (by far the fastest and most active blind athlete in the world) or any other visually impaired athlete that I am aware of.
They have tried to tackle this without taking it to court, but nothing was done. It is not just Aaron that has an issue with this. It is every blind athlete that competes in triathlon that I have talked to(I am not aware of all, but do know many). Yes, he can compete in an open category, but when it comes to competing in the paraolympics (which is his and many others goal) It is now a concern. This is why this is an issue now. With triathlon possibly being an exhibition sport in London and definetely in the olympics after he needs to get things clarrified.
The easy solution to this is to keep with having different categories for different impairments. Simple. Yes, you need to hand out more medals, but it will be fair, and it will be safe.
With regards to training with blackout glasses. All athletes want to perform their best with what they are given. He has some vision (trust me it sucks) and still can see a bit. Which is an advantage over those who are completely blind. He will not be able to do his best (even with training time) being forced to wear these glasses. It is impossible for him to run as fast with them as without.
I find it stupid that the ITU has made this distinction and that USAT has adopted it as well. The Paraolympics is about inclusion and doing the best you can with what you have. It is not about making someone more disabled than they allready are.
There are other ways to deal with this as well. They could put in a handicapping(sorry couldn't think of a better word :>) system (ala golf) where the athletes are given time penalties depending on their exact disability.
The ITU has not considered any other option. This is why it is an issue, and while I don't like the idea of taking it to the courts, I can see why he is frustrated and has resorted to this.
NCCP certified Comp coach
The initial rule was put in place without any consultation with Aaron (by far the fastest and most active blind athlete in the world) or any other visually impaired athlete that I am aware of.
They have tried to tackle this without taking it to court, but nothing was done. It is not just Aaron that has an issue with this. It is every blind athlete that competes in triathlon that I have talked to(I am not aware of all, but do know many). Yes, he can compete in an open category, but when it comes to competing in the paraolympics (which is his and many others goal) It is now a concern. This is why this is an issue now. With triathlon possibly being an exhibition sport in London and definetely in the olympics after he needs to get things clarrified.
The easy solution to this is to keep with having different categories for different impairments. Simple. Yes, you need to hand out more medals, but it will be fair, and it will be safe.
With regards to training with blackout glasses. All athletes want to perform their best with what they are given. He has some vision (trust me it sucks) and still can see a bit. Which is an advantage over those who are completely blind. He will not be able to do his best (even with training time) being forced to wear these glasses. It is impossible for him to run as fast with them as without.
I find it stupid that the ITU has made this distinction and that USAT has adopted it as well. The Paraolympics is about inclusion and doing the best you can with what you have. It is not about making someone more disabled than they allready are.
There are other ways to deal with this as well. They could put in a handicapping(sorry couldn't think of a better word :>) system (ala golf) where the athletes are given time penalties depending on their exact disability.
The ITU has not considered any other option. This is why it is an issue, and while I don't like the idea of taking it to the courts, I can see why he is frustrated and has resorted to this.
NCCP certified Comp coach