Most OUTRAGEOUS penalties.....USAT rules are dinasours

Triathlon Forum
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In light of the recent goings on between the WTC and USAT, I thought I would start a thread here on the most outrageous penalties you have gotten, or have heard of. Please no drafting stories, unless they are really out there, and interresting. Don’t want to hear how you are the most honest person in the world, and how could they have gotten me for sucking wheel. Chances are that you probably were. The one about Olaf was an intersting one though, he is the most honest person in the world, and they just plain called in the wrong number. SO there this poor guy sits in the sin bin, probably looking for a razor to slit his wrists with. I can see the offical visiting him in the hospital with bandages covering his wrists, “Sorry Olaf, it was just a mistake”…

This is my most outrageous story involving me. A couple years ago at the National championships, I was about halfway through the 90+ degree run, and there was a short out and back in a residential area. Down one street, and back the opposing one. Not a lot of aid that day, so I saw the aid station across the street for the come back portion of the out and back. I ran a few steps over to get some H20, and then ran back to the other side to continue. I know, I added some distance to my overall run, but I needed water right then. After the race I had a 2 min penalty which no one could explain, until many hours later they found the marshall that dinged me. Apparently when I went to the aid station, I was in violation of leaving the course. Didn’t matter that I got back on where I left it, I just left it…Bad boy, 2 minute penalty…Yes, I was pissed.

Here’s the most outrageous I heard of…A guy was warming up at 6am before the race, just finished eating a pre race gel, and threw it towards the trash can where it appeared to go in. What he did not know was that it hit the rim and bounced out. After the race he had a 4 minute penalty for abandoning equipment or something. He could not for the life of him figure out what, where, and when, until they got the marshall that made this call. Unbelievable, it’s no wonder that WTC wants to rewrite the rules and penalties. Before this thred is over, I’m sure we will see just how stupid a lot of our officiating has been over the years.

I’m not bagging on all officials, and I thank you for your will and energy you put in to help our sport become more fair and safe. But there seems to have been a culture that has formed that just does not get it when it comes to finding punishments to fit the crimes. You have awakened the 800 pound gorilla USAT, and now you will finally have to deal with it…

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OK I’ll start. Not very dramatic but a friend of mine competing at IMCDA in the 70-75 AG got an outside assistance penalty because his wife walked with him for 1 block. She did this right downtown where it was easy picking. Pretty tickey-tack as Chick Hearn would say.

Gary MC

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you forgot the second part of Olaf’s ‘penalty’ where they had lost his bag after they had apologized…
7’ lost…(diff. between 12 and 9th and about $6000)

at a Half in France, I got a drafting penalty (hehehe).
Ride the first 10km with 4 bozos from the same team sitting close enough to make the thing look like a bike race…a hill arrives, I push harder drop them, and they take turns on the flat to come back on me, then suddenly they all pass me and at the same time, a marshall arrives, gives me a penalty (the 15’’ were not done yet…maybe 3’’ between the first passes me and the rest in his wheel)…and blang…penalty…I couldn’t believe it and asked why?
it’s not 15’’ and as he was behind he knew they were drafting of me…
bad question…second penalty…DQed!!! WTF???

well TF was that the marshall was a triathlete that belonged to the same team the bozos that were drafting me…

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if you have Hawaii 99 on DVD, you can check the moment where Lothar Leder gets his second penalty for blocking…it was such a joke…he is about 10in from the white line and was passing…

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There are LOTS of these penalties handed out, they are all ridiculous.

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A guy in front of me put an empty gu wrapper in his jersey pocket and missed. We are riding downhill and about 1/4-1/2 mile later the official pulls up to him and tells him he’ll need to go back and pick up that wrapper or he’ll be dq’d for littering.

In the same race, almost 10% of the entire field was dq’d for drafting. no time penalties, just dq’s. About a month later, the race results were redone and all penalties were removed.

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Who is supposed to pick up his trash, since he obviously shouldn’t have to?

So I’m making breakfast and drop the container of eggs and they crack all over the floor. I tell my wife “I didn’t mean to drop the eggs, I shouldn’t have to clean them up.”

Now, this didn’t actually happen bit I suspect it wouldn’t work out well for me.

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This brings me to last years Nationals where I got a penalty for the passing rule. They merged my ag with the younger one, and I beat them all out of the water. Of course there was to be a group pass me on the bike at some time, and when they did, it was about 7 of them. Not a pack mind you, but a long string of riders. SO this marshall starts the watch when the first one hits me, and it takes 26 seconds for all 7 to go by, and I never saw them again. You might already get what happened here, she forgot to restart the watch each time a new rider passed me, so in her mind I did not make the 15 second drop back rule… I argued the point after the race, but she just didn’t get it, but the funniest thing was alll these guys in the 60 plus age groups at the appeals court trying to figure out why they all got 2 minute penalties.Some idiot marshall went through the transition area after the bikes were racked from the ride, and if one brake lever was off, or they racked it by the seat, 2 min. penalty. I felt so sorry for these guys, I just wanted to smack these marshalls. WHile all this was going on, a young guy came up who was an age group winner I believe, and complained about his drafting penalty. The marshall looked at a tick sheet she had, asked him if he was riding a Merlin, he said no, and she said fine, no penalty. She didn’t check to see if he really had a Merlin, just was plain lazy and just let it go. Meanwhile, the 76 year old guy just walks away in disgust. So did I…

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I’ll tell you who, the goddam marshall. They tell us that a bottle falling on the road is a saftey issue, thus the rule and penalty. They must have been there to witness the bottle launching at some railroad track, they got the number of the rider, this bottle is a major hazard to all in the race. Do they pick it up, of course not. WHy, because it isn’t really a hazard, just another way to piss off the customer. I put on a lot of races in the past, and it was an easy choice. Piss off the customer and send home some of the unfortunate with a bad taste of tri in their mouths, or have a follow car that has to pick up the signs and cones anyway, just pick up the launched bottles and goo wrapers. It doesn’t take too much thinking outside the box to eliminate these nonsense rules, and the new WTC three strikes deal sounds pretty good to me. Guy drops a wrapper, marshall tells him, he picks it up, gets a p on the number, goes on with the race, everybody happy.

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http://images.snapfish.com/343%3B8<4%3B23232fp64%3Dot>2347%3D4%3A8%3D3%3A5%3DXROQDF>2323896%3A%3B355%3Bot1lsiHere is my pic from 05 WF. I was the only one in my AG to get a drafting penalty. Guess they missed the guy behind me.

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How about the guy to his right??? This is another of my pet peeves when it comes to drafting, the Charlie Crawford snapshot method. You cannot just come on a situation, take your mental snapshot, and then make judgement calls. If you were not there to see a pack form, watch if for more than a few seconds, then you cannot make jusdement calls on that group. You know how it always is, One guy riding alone, pack swallows him up, marshall comes up right then , and he gets popped. Meanwhile the marshall leaves, the pack rools past this guy, and he’s going home with the bad taste…

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I was DQ’d from a small Duathlon in Vancouver where I ended up finishing third overall for running the wrong way in the transition zone. A race official claimed I was “cutting the course”. In reality I been directed that way by another race offcial and had become disoriented in transition and ended up running slightly further than everyone else( that should have been penalty enough, or so I thought).

People, what you will see on this thread, is really a list of how silly this sport has become at a certain level.

Fleck

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Wait… so, seriously… I can’t rack my bike by the seat?

I have never heard that in even the most comprehensive course talks that I have listened to. The only thing close was in a non_USAT sanctioned race, when they said you could rack your bike either way.

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Here is one to learn the hard way:

Had my feet out of my shoes coming into T2. At the dismount line, I accidently kick my shoe off of the pedal. As I watch my shoe skid 20’ feet away, I see a buddy of mine spectating at the bike entrance and ask if he can grab my shoe. He gives me a thumbs up and I think nothing of it. Get back to my gear after the race and my shoe is there, happy day. Until I see I get a 2:00 penalty for abandoned equipment. Lame.

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to rub a little salt in the wound the guy in my story had to walk back up the hill get the trash. the marshall wouldn’t allow him to ride back and get it as he would have to cross the centerline and that he was told would also be a dq offense.

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Did I mention I was the only one in my 44-49 AG and one of two in the whole 40-49 mens group? I hate getting accused of cheating when I didn’t. That race is so dense with riders you are nearly always in a state of passing, slowing etc.

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At Auburn Intl this year Brad made a point of saying how after the Western States 100 mile, the course was left clean regardless of the hundreds of runners with a 100 mile run under their belts and yet the first Auburn tri laft a complete mess on the trails that outraged the locals and the running community. I believe he stated that it made running the race in the future in doubt. Stressing that the rules would be enforced this year and pointing this out to the athletes, the next day the course was clean (after a crew had gone out early to make sure). I have no problem with the littering rule because I have seen too many tris with no officials that were draft fest, littered courses, headphones on the bike and run etc. Although clearly not the majority, my experience tells me that there are a number of triathletes who appear to honestly think somebody should pick up after them, or that they should be allowed to draft " a little", or yell at a volunteer because “dammit I’m racing here”. The USAT rules are there to ensure a fair race, a safe race, and maintain triathlon’s standing and reputation in the communities in which the races are held. I know of a few commuities that have threatened to ban running races and triahtlons due to GU packs left on the roadway (once a GU pack has dried and sealed itself to the pavement it is practially impossible to remove and a traffic hazard.)

There will be a few times when panalties are overly harsh or uncalled for…which is why there is a review of everyone by the head official before penalties are assessed. This ability will dissappear in the new WTC rules. The bad call at WTC events will still require the athlete to pull over to argue his/her case. Sometimes refs may go overboard. I know it makes a great story but 10% DQ’d for drafting? That sounds like a great urban myth. But mistakes do happen granted. Generally you have to receive at least one time penalty before DQ (which may be why they were overturned) I’d also have you verify that this race was in fact USAT refereed. Some races don’t use USAT trained referees.

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I think you have two seperate issues here. Littering vs “dropping stuff”, supposedly on accident. I’ve seen both in races and in the regular world. I’ve seen people blatantly throw wrappers, bottles, banana peels off to the side far from any aid station. I’ve also seen the bottle go flying, missed pocket, dropped half eaten Power Bar.

The real problem comes in enforcing the rules. I simply don’t agree with the idea that the marshals or anyone else should have to run around after the race and clean the entire course. Especially considering that not littering isn’t that hard. OTOH real accidents are bound to happen and it’s ridiculous to force an athlete to stop, turn around and go back to pick up a wrapper. In fact on many levels that’s more dangerous than leaving it there. The problem is some people are A-holes and will litter. These are the same people that feel it’s their right to toss their empty bottle out the window of their car. Without at least some impotess to keep them from dumping their crap everywhere the race course will be turned into a garbage dump. See how many municipalities ask you back after that.

~Matt

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“People, what you will see on this thread, is really a list of how silly this sport has become at a certain level.”

I think what you will see here are lots of example of exactly what happens in society as a whole. Rules are made because people complain that “I got treated differently” or some other reason. Once those rules are instated they must be followed to the “T” or else we’re back at square one.

Instead of accepting that no two situations are the same and that at times it will be YOU that get’s the short end of the stick or unfair judgement call we insist that everyone MUST be treated equally, especially me…which can’t happen,IMO.

~Matt

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Fleck…I know how you feel…do what you are told…and you are wrong for doing it.