Recently an age grouper was singled out and DSQ for course cutting, whether intentional or unintentional aside, she was found to have cut the course and given the DSQ. Last weekend (IMWC) athlete #138 was given a DNF but had crossed the finish line. It was discussed in other places that she was seen cutting the course. If she was found guilty of cutting the course why was she not given the DSQ instead of a DNF?
At what race?
Recently an age grouper was singled out and DSQ for course cutting, whether intentional or unintentional aside, she was found to have cut the course and given the DSQ. Last weekend (IMWC) athlete #138 was given a DNF but had crossed the finish line. It was discussed in other places that she was seen cutting the course. If she was found guilty of cutting the course why was she not given the DSQ instead of a DNF?
???
Bib 138 is listed as an official finisher. Sure you have the right bib?
OK
Looking at: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/world-championship/ironfan/2015-oct-10/leaderboard.aspx#axzz3obiOlxoq
(type in 138) they didn’t show a DNF.
Her run time was also listed in the Top15 bikers article ( http://www.slowtwitch.com/Products/IM_Kona_2015_-_women_bike_pics_5421.html ), so I was a bit confused that she was a DNF.
Any links to the discussion on her DNF/DSQ?
She shows on the Ironfan page as finishing and has pictures on the Finisherpix site but was given a DNF. DNF’s are granted to those who have not completed the course. If she didn’t do the entire course shouldn’t it be a DSQ?
I think it would come down to if she claimed to do the entire course or not.
Looking at FinisherPix she doesn’t do any celebrating at the finish, and there are no pics of her posing with a finishing medal. If she went to the race timers and basically said, “I turned around out on the Queen-K and just headed back into town.” she should get a DNF (basically from that point).
I agree it seems a bit strange; if I called it a day out on the Queen-K I’d just go straight at the hot corner down to the King Kam…no way I’d want to run an extra mile to get to the finish. That being said, there are people find the easiest route is through the finish.
Any word on if she self-reported or not?
I don’t know if she self reported or not. She’s a pro, running through the arch knowing you didn’t complete the prescribed course is inexcusable at that level. Of all the other pro DNF’s no one else “jogged it in”.
she should get a DNF (basically from that point).
The whole DNF/DQ thing is a bit of a cope out anyway, to save people from embarrassment.
In most sports (and I don’t think triathlon is any different although I stand to be corrected) technically speaking, if you do not finish the race, you are disqualified for not completing the prescribed course. A lot of sports will list that as a DNF in the race results, but technically they have been DQ’d.
While this is ST… I don’t want to sound like an ass**** but going through the finish chute when you basically dropped out of the race is poor form. You didn’t earn that privileged. She did the easy part of the run (1st 10 miles) and bailed. That’s fine. It happens… you live to fight another day, that’s her choice. But she should have just gone straight down Palani to the timing area and turned in her chip, not enjoyed the last 1/2 mile of Ali’i. Sorry, but I and many others, including several pro men and women I saw, suffered through the hardest 16 miles I’ve ever run, to enjoy that 1/2 mile strip of road. I hit the turn on the queen K and said… screw it, I’ve already been out here 8 hours, it would be stupid to quit now. Same thing I tell myself on #24 of a hard 30x100 swim set.
She should read the athlete guide, if this is unclear. I’d go even farther to say that officials should consider suspending her pro license or barring her from competing in this race next year for knowingly cutting the course and not dropping out and instead running across the finish line. Sorry, but I feel pretty strongly about this.
The main thing is whether she reported that she dropped out to the officials, or did she try to get away with it and was caught.
Sounds like it is the former. I don’t see how crossing the finish line is a huge deal if she goes to the officials and self-reports that she didn’t finish.
If going through the finishing chute is the easiest way to return your chip after stopping the race, then we need better ways to return your chip. Her photos don’t look like she’s celebrating, but could equally be interpreted as “I had a disappointing race.” It would have been better to find a different way to the chip return.
I’ll give first timers the benefit of the doubt if they’re not celebrating; but that benefit quickly dwindles for experienced racers. Pros should be held to a higher standard. They should know not to go through the chute to return a chip.
I’m not saying that there is nothing wrong with crossing the finishing mat if you’ve dropped out, but it seems to me that it is a pretty minor offense to do so, as long as you declare what you’ve done to the race officials. It doesn’t seem to rise to the level of suspending their pro card or the following year’s race.
I agree that it those penalties (or any penalty) might be a bit harsh; Unless its with an intent to deceive.
“Poor form” is probably the best way to describe it more than anything else; but when you’re a pro and make a living off of your brand, its not the best way to go about doing so.
Sounds like it is the former. I don’t see how crossing the finish line is a huge deal if she goes to the officials and self-reports that she didn’t finish.
Because running the last 1/2 miles in front of hundreds of cheering fans on the most famous stretch of road in all of Triathlon, is steeling an experience that the athlete didn’t earn. To me, it’s one of the main rewards for finishing, because the finish stretch of an IM is like no other race I’ve ever done for the level of energy. You get you name called, get two finish line catchers to escort you, etc. But it must be earned.
Dropping out means dropping out. It doesn’t mean cutting the course and jogging through the finish. How hard is it to walk down Palani, cut through the hotel (enjoy the AC) and enter the finish area and find a volunteer to direct you to the timing tent. It’s also about 3/4 mile shorter too. If you weren’t able to complete the course, then you shouldn’t have the reserve energy to run and extra 3/4 mile.
Thomas Gerlach when he dropped out of IMWI 2 years ago after 1 lap didn’t run through the finish chute. He seemed perfectly capable of finding a timing tent that day.
I would consider that a minor infraction, as it isn’t affecting the actual race. It is a “pomp and circumstance” infraction.
I don’t mean to diminish anyone’s accomplishment of finishing IM Hawaii, but there is a difference between cheating and not following protocol. When she ran that last 1/2 mile, she didn’t take away anyone else’s accomplishment. It only bothers you because you know about it, if you didn’t know, there would have been zero real effect on you.
If someone actually cheats on the course and advances their finishing place, then someone is affected, or potentially affected, whether they know about the violation or not.
But is it a “pomp and circumstance” infraction when she has all of the splits for the run (according to the ironfan site) but is only missing the first splits of the bike? So she completed the bike course (as one of the top 15 bikers) and still was allowed to run the entire run course? So if she didn’t do the prescribed course it should be a DSQ not a DNF, self reported or not.
I thought the circumstance was that she ran the first 10 miles of the run then dropped out?
I thought the circumstance was that she ran the first 10 miles of the run then dropped out?
I don’t know where that conclusion came from, but she has run splits for all of the run check points, and they all seem plausible. So, it looks to me like she did the entire run. I don’t know why or where the OP thinks she cut the course, but she must have done something, either inadvertent or intentional, to be listed as a DNF when she clearly crossed the finish line.
post #10.