I have had this happen to me a couple of times and I don’t like it. Mostly because I end up sucking in water and then it takes me awhile to recover to the point of where I am able to breathe properly. A couple of years ago one of the RDs suggested I drop down to a shorter distance race where there are more beginners. His reasoning being that it would be less competitive and people wouldn’t be that aggressive during the swim leg. But recently it happened to me again, even in this type of race. Part of the problem is that I have a small frame, so I am an easy target. Has anyone ever had this happen to them? Any suggestions on how to minimize the chance of this happening? I should mention also that my age group tends to put me in either the last or second last wave.
There are two ways to tackle this problem. The first would be to stay to the outside and back of the swim start since most of this happens during the intial starting phases of the swim.
Another solution is to take a proactive approach. Hold your space in the water and fight for it and don’t allow yourself to go under. If you do go under fight like mad and claw your way back up. Fostering a killer instict will help this as it will put you in the mindset not to give up your space.
Disclaimer: this comes from someone with a strong background in water polo.
Surface as fast as possible. Look for the culprit that thought it was cool to swim over the top of someone. Land a perfectly executed “Fist entering the Water As Hard As Possilbe” into their nutsack. You stil might get dunked once in a while, but it is way easier to swim with a smile on your face when you leave an asshole swimming with a stomach ache for the next 20 minutes.
When I first started tris I found the swim really intimidating. I could go the distance but the panic of the start really threw me off. Someone suggested waiting a moment or two ( count slowly to ten or twenty) after the gun before starting. This get s the mob ahead of you and you can swim in your comfort zone. Hope this helps.
I’ve been run over a LOT. Because I’m generally the worst swimmer out there. (This is no joke. I’m beyond horrible.) I’m okay with getting run over and smacked around a lot. I’ve never been pushed down.
BUT… what I HAVE had happen is people grab me, and hold on. Not only is this pretty funny when I’m so slow (how bad must they be to need MY help?), it’s rather bizarre. I’m not talking about a quick touch and inadvertant grab. I’m talking about someone grabbing my ankles for 5-10 seconds. WTF is with that? I actually have turned around to yell at them to let go so I can swim. I probably should just start kicking into their face. This has happened 3-4 times now. Always on my leg. Happened again just two weeks ago right at the finish of a half-IM. Dude (or gal) is just hanging on while I pull him into shore. Hilarious.
Swim fly. No one will fuck with you - guaranteed.
Land a perfectly executed “Fist entering the Water As Hard As Possilbe” into their nutsack.
lol
What if it’s a girl.
swim very fast and start at the front so nobody is around you
or, if you are slower, start at the back so nobody is passing you
and maybe practice the scenario in training somehow
.
Sometimes you feel like a nut… sometimes you don’t. : )
What if it’s a girl.
I’ve only been punched a few times while swimming, but each and every time it was the women - and never the leaders, but the 2nd or 3rd chase pack. I solved the problem by swimming faster. 
Land a perfectly executed “Fist entering the Water As Hard As Possilbe” into their nutsack.
lol
What if it’s a girl.
Well, if you are a guy and the the girl pushed you under, smack yourself in the nuts, or the fleshy part where your nuts use to be.
BUT… what I HAVE had happen is people grab me, and hold on. Not only is this pretty funny when I’m so slow (how bad must they be to need MY help?), it’s rather bizarre. I’m not talking about a quick touch and inadvertant grab. I’m talking about someone grabbing my ankles for 5-10 seconds. WTF is with that? I actually have turned around to yell at them to let go so I can swim. I probably should just start kicking into their face. This has happened 3-4 times now. Always on my leg. Happened again just two weeks ago right at the finish of a half-IM. Dude (or gal) is just hanging on while I pull him into shore. Hilarious.
Duck dive and swim for the bottom - they’ll let go!
A heel to the jaw will get them to let go rather quickly. People used to try that shit on me during breakaways in my water polo days.
A heel to the jaw will get them to let go rather quickly. People used to try that shit on me during breakaways in my water polo days.
There’s a pretty significant difference between water polo and an OW swim where the person grabbing hold is likely panicking…
I’m an average swimmer, gotten slightly better with a lot of work. You need to have a sense that this is happening. You don’t usually get pushed down in one fell swoop, there’s generally some kind of contact first. When I feel it’s going to happen I’ll kick harder momentarily to push forward and discourage it including exagerrating the upkick. Also, rotating as they are coming over may land you immediately next to them rather than under them. Gently pushing against them sideways will move them and you over a little and that may prevent you from going under them. Keep calm, keep stroking and don’t struggle. Try to stay fluid in your movements.
Well they were definitely panicking if i was on a break :), but touche they would be panicking for a far different reason.
First you need to be comfortable in open water. If you live near the ocean or lake go swim in it, a lot.
Occasionally do your whole workout without goggles (I do almost all of my ocean swims without goggles). Dive under water and blow bubbles. Play. Get some friends together and play chicken. Take up martial arts.
It’s not your size. I’ve been dunked, etc in almost every tri I’ve done. I’ve had my cheek bruised, nose bloodied, goggles knocked off. Been swam on, shit, practically walked on. I’ve been pulled under by a panicking womens. I’m 6’2, 185. It’s not your size.
Get comfortable.
I’ve had it all happen to me, but I come from a water polo background, too. You aren’t targeted because of your size. People just want to get to the end and some will let nothing stop them. I’ve swam in murky water and ended up on top of people before I could do anything about it. It just happens, I’m already committed to taking my pull with that arm on your back and it’s going to push you down… sorry. What you can do is the moment you feel someone pressing you is to kick harder and swim harder, just for the few seconds while it happens. This is two-fold: 1. You keep your hips up so you can continue swimming and, 2. You may just kick the person enough they back away from you. It’s all part of the game and to be honest, I love all that jockeying during the swim.
Like others have said, this will only happen at the start. Once people get tired they have better things to do than push you under. I don’t think you need to wait so long to begin swimming. You just need to stay out of the violent middle. Move yourself to one side or the other, then just swim relaxed until the groups thin out. You can also just go immediately behind someone. That way you get to have them clear the way of other swimmers and you get to draft.
I’ve never been dunked but I’ve been hit a few times. I hate it so much. I don’t understand this warrior mentality.