Help with ITU Age Group rules

Triathlon Forum
1

I’m trying to sort out what is allowed in a non wet suit Standard or Olympic Age Group swim.

based on the Uniform rules
2.8. Uniform: a.) All athletes competing in ITU Events are required to wear their uniform conforming to the ITU Guidelines Regarding Authorised Identification; b.) The ITU Guidelines Regarding Authorised Identification set the space limitation on the athletes uniforms to include commercial logos; c.) Athletes must follow the following rules with respect to wearing uniforms: (i) Athletes must wear the uniform during the entire competition and award ceremony. Long sleeves and long pants are allowed for the award ceremony; (ii) The uniform must cover the whole torso in the front. The back may be uncovered from the waist up;
If the suit has a zipper it must be located at the back and will not be longer than 40 cm. This rule does not apply for middle- and longdistance events;

AND Under Section 4 Swimming, I see this:
c.) Swimskins: (i) Swimskins may be removed after the swim segment, except in the standard distance and shorter events.

So my interpretation is, I can not go topless during the swim, if I use a swimskin, I need to leave it on for the duration of the race, and if my triclub top has a zipper in the front, I can not wear it.

Am I correct? And note, I am not arguing the rules, I just want to know if I am reading this correctly.
Thanks!

2

Is this for the grand finale or just a regular itu race? Maybe it depends on the race, but I don’t see Uniform rules usually applied to age groupers in the regular races. Just the elites and juniors. For the grand finale, the zip can’t be right because I believe my team canada suit is a front zip, and my short distance ITU legal Kiwami suit is a front zip?

Sounds right on the swim aspects though.

3

Race is Bermuda in a couple of weeks.

4

Race is Bermuda in a couple of weeks.

I raced Bermuda last year. Fun race, except the fourth time up Corkscrew Hill.

For the AG races, you can’t swim topless. You can wear a swim skin or, if the water temp allows, a wetsuit (last year was wetsuit legal for the AG races).

You top can be front zipped or back zipped; sleeved or sleeveless.

Most of those rules are applicable to the AG World Championship races.

The swim is in the harbor in clear, calm water (last year). It’s a long uphill run to T1. Bike is a little bit of everything. The fourth time up Corkscrew Hill is fun; the descent back to town is fast. The run is multiple flat out-and-backs along the waterfront. Lots of spectators on the first half of the run.

Have fun.

5

Awesome, thanks for the info…

ETA…so I’m a dope…just looked at the AGE athlete guide for Bermuda…

CLOTHING RULES Age Group athletes are not required to wear an ITU approved competition uniform as long as torsos are covered during all segments of the event.

So I guess my only question would be if I wear a swimskin, do I need to leave it on?

6

Awesome, thanks for the info…

ETA…so I’m a dope…just looked at the AGE athlete guide for Bermuda…

CLOTHING RULES Age Group athletes are not required to wear an ITU approved competition uniform as long as torsos are covered during all segments of the event.

**So I guess my only question would be if I wear a swimskin, do I need to leave it on?

No, you should remove it in T1 (or earlier if you don’t want to run 1/4 mile in it). The run to T1 is carpeted. Just watch the taped seams. They can be slippery (don’t ask me how I know :-)).

7

Ok…I won’t ask! Thanks again for the info.

8

You should consult an official when you get there. Different ITU events have different degrees of leniency, but typically in a non-wetsuit swim, whatever you wear into the water stays on you for the rest of the race.

9

Typically for the age group races associated with a WTS, they are pretty lenient with the uniform rules, as opposed to World Multisport or Grand Finals, where the rules are enforced to a T…

You can swim topless in ITU rules, but need to put a top on in T1… technically with a two piece, the top and the bottom need to overlap, no exposed midriffs, but again, typically that won’t be enforced for a non-championship race. In terms of a swim skin, I would strongly suggest talking to the head referee for the age group races when you get there. The rules essentially function as whatever you wear in the case of a non-wetsuit swim effectively becomes your uniform (for anything standard distance or shorter), so if you wore a swim skin, you technically couldn’t remove it (for middle and long distance, you can wear and remove a swimskin for non-wetsuit swims). For a non championship race, I am not sure whether they would enforce that rule or not (It’s never come up at a race where I’ve officiated with a non-wetsuit swim). If it’s wetsuit legal, than you could wear either a wetsuit or the swim skin and remove it, no problems…

In terms of the comment about front zip suits, they are not legal for a championship race at standard distance or shorter (same with shortsleeved suits), but are ok for middle/long distance. I love Kiwami’s kits (hell, I race in Kiwami suits), but when they say ITU legal, they don’t necessarily mean that they are ITU legal for all events, they mean that they are made from ITU legal textiles, and that they are ITU legal in some cases (the front zip and sleeved suits being legal for middle/long distance, but not for standard distance or shorter, in the case of their rear-zip one piece kits, they are ITU legal in all cases)… I have a front-zip short sleeved Kiwami suit for racing, but I use it for duathlons, and races where I know that they don’t enforce the sleeve rules… I have several rear-zip, one piece team canada suits that I use at itu championship events and bring as a back-up in case I wouldn’t be allowed to wear that suit…

In general, whenever you have questions about the legality of your kit at an ITU race, talk to an official (ideally before race day), and they will get a ruling from the head referee who ultimately makes the decisions on how the rules are enforced and would be the one to grant any exceptions.

10

Thanks all for the input, I appreciate it!

11

For the grand finale, the zip can’t be right because I believe my team canada suit is a front zip, …

The AG Team Canada suits (both two piece and one piece) have a zip in the back.

12

For the grand finale, the zip can’t be right because I believe my team canada suit is a front zip, …

The AG Team Canada suits (both two piece and one piece) have a zip in the back.

Thanks, couldn’t remember where it was.

13

Wrong. Swimskins only allowed for Middle and Long Distance races.

c.) Swimskins: (i) Swimskins may be removed after the swim segment, except in the standard distance and shorter events.

14

Wrong. Swimskins only allowed for Middle and Long Distance races.

c.) Swimskins: (i) Swimskins may be removed after the swim segment, except in the standard distance and shorter events.

Swimskins are allowed for any distance, but they cannot be removed for standard distance or shorter (and for a championship race, they would have to not only comply with the textile rules, but also comply with uniform rules… which is to say that it would take a lot of effort to make it legal, but it’s not impossible)…

Again, In the case of an AG race paired with a WTS, check with the officials there and they will get the ruling from the head ref… my suspicion is that it wouldn’t be enforced, but I’m not sure how the rule is enforced domestically in Bermuda, which usually influences how some of these rules are enforced in the AG races.

15

Wrong. Swimskins only allowed for Middle and Long Distance races.

c.) Swimskins: (i) Swimskins may be removed after the swim segment, except in the standard distance and shorter events.

This is an AG race and they appeared to be following the Bermuda Triathlon Association rules, not the ITU rules. It was wetsuit legal last year, *almost *making swimskins moot.

On another note, make sure you watch the athletes webinar. The draft rules are different than USAT uses (it’s a longer draft box with a longer passing time). Last year they had several referees on the front half of the course monitoring the drafting. They ride on scooters that are very quiet :-).

16

Most countries don’t allow swimskins for short course races. US is unique in the minority in allowing them. Most other countries rules are a carbon copy of the ITU.

I’m not racing Bermuda but will be racing AG -@ WTS Edmonton (Draft legal Sprint) & they had TDs on motos yelling at guys to stop drafting myself and Ken Axford because they were a lap behind us.