In Australia, you must wear a shirt for EVERY triathlon. I always thought it was an ITU rule.

*by shirt, it states clearly that your nipples must be covered at all times. So cropt op ok.

I believe it is so as not to cause offence to spectators. (Personally i dont find them that offensive!!)

I always think its weird when i see pics of you guys racing nude- "hide them hide them!!" i shout.

True story.

I was shopping around for shoe sponsor back in the mid 80's to help me with my triathlon racing. I approached the president of one of the leading brands. He was interested, but he said, "All you triathletes race with no shirt on! Where is my logo supposed to go?" He had a point. So after that I always wore a shirt. I had sponsors from the get go back then, and it was typically in the contract that I would wear the sponsors top while racing at all times.

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

The majority of people at Phuket triathlon *do* wear a shirt

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I did not say they *do not* what I said was:

"Anything goes" meaning you are FREE to wear or not to wear a shirt.

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I see obsessed people.

If the 'reason' is because of 'community pressure' move the race to a different community. Just the possibility of losing some 'community revenue' will likely change their tune.

My own guess? Most of the communities that object are populated by obese whiners...

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gbassett.com

<< If the 'reason' is because of 'community pressure' move the race to a different community. Just the possibility of losing some 'community revenue' will likely change their tune.

great idea, we'll just blow off the communities that don't like us and move to one of the many communities that are lining up waiting for a triathlon to come to their town. That's such an endless list, no problem. Much better idea then trying to work with where we already have races in place.

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Mike Plumb, TriPower MultiSports
Professional Running, Cycling and Multisport Coaching, F.I.S.T. Certified
http://www.tripower.org

Mike -

I hear you. And my reaction was knee-jerk at best, for which I apologize.. I don't known your resume, but I'm guessing that you've put on more than a few races, for which you have my complete and sincere respect.

But sheesh, you would think that the town would have a lot more to worry about than topless male athletes? How are the schools? Homeless? Crime? Property Taxes? 1000's of other priorities, and they choose this to focus more than 5 seconds of effort?

It's my personal opinion that the only way to eliminate ignorance is to confront it at every opportunity. Call it out, expose it to sunlight, fight, fight, fight and never surrender...

Then again, once I'm king, changes will be made...

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gbassett.com

Mike,

Thanks for the response, and I do respect your input and applaud your work with USAT. I do know who my regional rep is (Vigo). But I would hardly call the process at USAT democratic or even close. I find it odd that Vigo is the RD of the largest race in the Region, Eagleman, but that race is not USAT sanctioned. If that is not hypocritical representation I do not know what is?

In any event I will contact him and the contact name on this site, but I have yet to see the USAT change a decision or proposed rule on the basis of input from its membership.

As a side, I am RD-ing a youth race and USAT has been a huge help planning the race and answering countless questions that have been presented.


Kind Regards,

RF

Here is an old school pic where most of us didn't like wearing shirts, even on the bike. This was a half Ironman too. THe shirtless are Molina, Tinley, Riccitello, and yours truly. Mark Allen just launched a new clothing line with Nike, or he would have been bare back, and RIck Wells should have been with that floppy T-shirt he's wearing.

http://tinypic.com/view/?pic=r0bhih

Good point that if you have sponsors to represent, tops are the likely spot. Just don't think that we need a rule to force the issue. As for the being offensive to the communtiy arguement, come on now, do we plan our sport around a COUPLE of squeaky wheels. I can't believe that this is a widespread belief through the communities in America, so let's not make this a more complicated issue than it should be. It's a frigging shirt after all......

Rock,

actually Vigo is not your Board member representing you. He is on a regional board but not the National board. I believe your person to contact is Rob Kasper. Rob represents the mid Atlantic region.

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Mike Plumb, TriPower MultiSports
Professional Running, Cycling and Multisport Coaching, F.I.S.T. Certified
http://www.tripower.org

For those who are concerned about overheating when it's super hot outside, why don't they make the rule such that torsos must be covered except in extreme conditions at the discretion of the RD?

Mike,

I agree with you that a USAT-wide rule change is not necessary on this issue. However, I would like to respectfully express my displeasure about how this issue is being put before the membership.

The press release, though dated February 22, was not posted on the USAT website until March 8.

The press release suggests that the proposal was favorably considered at the Global Rules Summit. However, it has been reported at InsideTriathlon.com that the proposal was actually rejected by a 6-3 vote (http://www.insidetri.com/news/fea/3175.0.html).

Although the rule has not been changed, a section of the USAT website titled “Membership – Latest News” has a false presentation of this issue, stating “USA Triathlon reminds athletes that torso (upper body) clothing is required during the cycling and running disciplines” (http://www.usatriathlon.org/Membership/membership_news.htm) and continues with a discussion that this rule is “targeted for special emphasis” and that it is “an important rule” for a number of reasons.

I took USAT up on the offer to make comments on the issue per the press release. As you know, the e-mail link for comment submission was not valid. Even if it was, your comments seem to suggest that they shouldn't be sent into USAT at all but rather to individual board members. Is that correct?

I am upset by what I perceive to be a pattern of problems that USAT has experienced in communicating with its membership, to include press releases that are misleading, untimely, and/or inadequate, and the lack of other communication to the membership at all. (e.g. what other Global Summit issues will be voted on at the next meeting?) I am fully supportive of USAT’s direction, insofar that it has strived to become relevant to event organizers and sponsors, but feel that the national organization has to make a sincere effort to correct its pattern of errors and effectively communicate with the membership. Incidents like these only continue to hurt USAT's image and, consequently, the membership's perception of relevancy in USAT.



Thank you.

USAT is looking for the right combination of poor judgment and intellectually lazy board members that will push them over the top...of the cliff. We should all do our part and support this suggestion.

-Robert

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

Does anyone know of a race that has been canceled because of shirtless males. I doubt it. People need to lighten up.

Come on everyone, let's face the truth, you American 'studs' just love showing off your pecs. Racing a triathlon shirtless is just the same as the guys on the LA beaches pumping iron. You think you look good and you want everyone else to know it. It is a culture thing.

Here in London you can run round the parks on a hot day in the middle of summer and, at most, you will see one or two guys running with their shirts off (and they are almost certainly American). During a stay in New York last summer I noticed it was the norm for guys running round the park to have no shirt on, along with their Oakley shades.

Nothing wrong with it...

... for a bunch of posers.

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Richard Melik | I work for the following companies | Zwift.com | Freespeed Bike Fit (UK)
Manager | David McNamee

RF-

Like Mike, I'm on the Board as well, and am reading this thread to figure out which way I should vote (yes, representative democracy just might work). But, Vigo is not your rep (actually, I am). Vigo WAS on the board, but is not currently.

Although I see lots of posts objecting to the rule, I also think we should be sensitive to local preferences. Yup, there will always be people out on the radical fringe (in all directions), but to work with local officials to make our races most attractive to them really does seem to be the way to go. With races closing out as fast as they are these days, we need more places to race, not fewer. Anything that we can "reasonably" do to be neighborly, we should do.

All that being said, I do like the idea of leaving the issue to the RD to determine, based upon their discussions during the permit process.

And to ditto Mike: Everyone really should be in touch with the national board member who represents your region on issues you feel strongly about. We are here to represent our members and to grow the sport. That doesn't necessarily mean that we have to "agree" with them, but after listening to everyone's concerns, our responsibility (IMHO) is to vote based on ALL the information available, and what we think will be best for the sport, overall. We'd love it to be universally accepted, but I'm sure nobody on this site really expects unanimous agreement on the issues that really are important.

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Chuck Graziano

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who are we to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be..." Nelson Mandella, 1994

Its a race, not a fashion statement.

There's one statement I never thought I'd hear about triathlon.

Given the coloration and patterns of tri equipment and clothing, I'd say for many people it is a fashion statement ... MOF it may be a fashion show.

Amazing that the sport that is characterized by the speedo and shaved legs takes a firm stand again running without a shirt on.

It'd be hilarioius if it wasn't so absurd.

The alterative, of course, is guys that wear such little shirt that the rule's basically a mockery anyway.

Was this really a pressing issue that demanded a formal rule?

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-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --

Here in London you can run round the parks on a hot day in the middle of summer and, at most, you will see one or two guys running with their shirts off (and they are almost certainly American). During a stay in New York last summer I noticed it was the norm for guys running round the park to have no shirt on, along with their Oakley shades.

Nothing wrong with it...

... for a bunch of posers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Milky,

I've spent a lot of time in London and I always saw more people than Central Park shirtless, tanning and lying around or playing ball and such in Hyde Park. Including a lot of women tanning in their bikinis.Does this make them posers?

Whenever the sun shines in England everybody exposes as much skin as they can to catch some rays and there is nothing wrong with it.

Also, last time I saw, not only men but also topless women was totally accepted all over the Europe including England.

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I see obsessed people.

The clothing must be made of a material that is not transparent even if wet.

Obviously that doesn't apply to the athlete on the cover of the "25th Anniversary of Ironman" book who is donning a white tri-suit, soaked with sweat and unfortunately for everyone else ... largely see-through.

Can I run without a shirt if I put those circle band-aids over my nipples? =) What if I run with just my index fingers covering them? Now, there's a funny thursday image!

ON a serious note, I can see where having tri-tops does add to the professional look of the sport ... and well, the people that make the rules likely look at it as more sport than hobby, and don't really equate a race to "some dude running 3 miles , on his own, without a shirt.

I'm all for a rule that bans Record10Carbon's cycling shoes. =)

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I think it's just a big conspiracy to flood the world with tri-tops while the triathlon clothing companies try to take over the world.

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-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --

I still c an't believe they didn't notice that before they published it...at least it gave them a good place to put a sticker!

I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything ... but please, next time, give me a formal request in writing, to use my image/likeness in your post. I am trying to make a living modeling those "eyepatches" (as I like to cal them).

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Do those come in a 42" waist, small bucket

THanks, I needed that. =)

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Would any of our friends who race ACOTUS (any country outside the US) chime in?

Whoa, Whoa, Whoa ... you just can't up and make an acronym. There's a process to it. Isn't there a rule against JUACYOA (Just Up And Creating Your Own Acronym)?

The best part about acronyms is when the person (both you and I) go ahead and type out the whole thing directly behind the acronym in parenthesis.

Alright, time to dome work. later.

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-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --

That is a good point, Doubleplay, and that is kind of what I am saying. In Europe, we are very comfortable with exposing skin or having it exposed around us.

The difference is the attitude that comes across from someone running with no shirt on... I am very fit and want the world to know it... As I said, it is like the LA beaches. Of course, people on the beach are going to laze around without a shirt getting some sun and that is fine, but if you are going to pump some heavy weights by the side of the road, put a t shirt on otherwise (in my view) you are a class A poser.

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Richard Melik | I work for the following companies | Zwift.com | Freespeed Bike Fit (UK)
Manager | David McNamee

>>Also, last time I saw, not only men but also topless women was totally accepted all over the Europe including England.<<

Yes, but they don't race that way.

And how many people bitching in this thread are actually USAT members? Just curious.

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

In Bermuda you never see anyone running without a shirt on. Well, not locals anyhow. All races require shirts, it really isn't a big deal to put it on, and it looks a lot better for spectators.

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

It's pretty funny to see the stuff that people get all fired up about on this forum.

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Proud Founder of the Jamis Mafia- Daring to be different.

From the country that brought us Bermuda shorts I'd expect that they'd insist on everyone wearing a shirt.