wow some hostility on this thread. Maybe some yoga followed by a relaxation class for those people!
I see this being good for a few reasons based on conversations I've had with my numerous Kona athletes
1. for the fastest swimmers (54-56) it's going to be less of a boxing match. In a normal IM if you swim in that time frame it's pretty lonely. At Kona it's not.
2. If you're on a rescue board this makes saving a life a lot easier. Hopefully some of you high strung individuals won't need saving.
3. if you're a pretty decent swimmer <57 and can only ride 4:50 it's probably going to reduce the # of people you're riding with. Now it's not going to eliminate drafting completely, there are too many racers & not enough course or not enough course for the # of athletes, you choose. We should see smaller draft packs
Drawbacks:
The older/more vulnerable athletes, older women, back 30% of the race it's not uncommon for them to shove everyone into the bike lane, not uncommon to run out of stuff at the last few bike aid stations and those athletes are also least able to handle heat yet they are going to be out there in the heat a bit longer.
Finally for those who hate change, it's inevitable. This race will look different in 10 years then it did last year or will look this year. Change is like time, you can't stop it.
Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching Insta