I understand it’s triathlon at a professional level, but does Sam Dickinson’s DNF go against the spirit of the sport? He was Yee’s unofficial domestique, as soon as Yee overtook him on the run, he cheered him on then gave up and quit… he wasn’t injured, his job was done. Saving himself for the relays, but still seems really lame.
https://www.220triathlon.com/news/paris-triathlon-was-sam-dickinson-right-to-dnf-in-the-olympics
It reveals a problem with picking the same athletes to do both events. If you’re signed up for both events, you should do both. It might be silly to insist that a racer make a concerted effort to …err… race, but there are other nations and athletes who were excluded from competition just so he could swim bike and DNF.
It should rub us the wrong way, but who knows what can be done?
It reveals a problem with picking the same athletes to do both events. If you’re signed up for both events, you should do both. It might be silly to insist that a racer make a concerted effort to …err… race, but there are other nations and athletes who were excluded from competition just so he could swim bike and DNF.
It should rub us the wrong way, but who knows what can be done?
I agree, it is shitty.
Imagine you are in command of team GB. Look at your resources. What’s the best possible outcome in the men’s race? Remember there are zero points for 4th.
Perhaps you decide that you have a chance at 1 medal, but no chance at 2.
So, you go all in and give clear orders to your team about how you want them to perform in the race.
The decision for Sam to pull out was likely made far in advance of the race, and both athletes were likely full bought in.
Essentially they fixed the match. We don’t call it that, but its contrary to sport.
If it’s a team event it should be a team event.
Or
If the triathlon was raced in heats with each nation having no more than one athlete per heat that could also alleviate this issue (and many others).
There could be a requirement that no athlete who fails to complete the individual event before the cut off can compete in the relay. That’s just going to have him walk/running it in. But at least he still stay out there.
Essentially they fixed the match. We don’t call it that, but its contrary to sport.
Even for this place that is impressive hyperbole.
Dickinson had zero effect on the outcome of the men’s race
I guess i don’t really have a problem with him being a domestique, but the way he pulled out just rubbed the wrong way. Discreetly drop back and dnf the run, no need to make such a performance out of it, just makes those that don’t know the sport and athletes well think Yee couldn’t have won without him.
Essentially they fixed the match. We don’t call it that, but its contrary to sport.
If it’s a team event it should be a team event.
Or
If the triathlon was raced in heats with each nation having no more than one athlete per heat that could also alleviate this issue (and many others).
There could be a requirement that no athlete who fails to complete the individual event before the cut off can compete in the relay. That’s just going to have him walk/running it in. But at least he still stay out there.
i don’t think it’s match fixing. i think it’s more akin to pulling your starting pitcher and putting in a reliever when you’re already winning/losing by a lot, late in the game. no sense in tiring out your starter’s arm.
personally, i’m ambivalent. on the one hand, if it were me, i’d finish. i’d just want to honor the race and the competitors, even if it meant a mid-pack finish.
on the other hand, this is kind of the situation that the IOC has created. it’s a basic and predictable gamesmanship response to the way qualifying slots go - if you don’t have a chance in the individual, why would not save your legs for the relay?
Normally I don’t agree with the pilot role, it feels like it goes against the Olympic sporting spirit.
However, the NGBs will do whatever the NGBs want to do to preserve their funding etc. Having said that Yee was our only realistic medal potential on the mens side so I can see why they did it.
2 complete Olympic cycles where GB-Tri has failed to qualify 3 men says more than Dickinson being a pilot.
“Was-sam-dickinson-right-to-dnf-in-the-olympics” Damn right he was and I’d have been disappointed if he hadn’t.
I think some people on here have an odd perspective on ‘finishing at all costs’.
The primary role of the second GBR men’s pick is to race his very best in the MTR with a secondary role of making whatever contribution is best for the main man in the individual.
Dickinson fulfilled his secondary role in exemplary fashion:
Brit Tri will have made those primary and secondary roles crystal clear during selection and I wonder whether the different expectation of acquiescence and compliance between Dickinson and Brownlee may have made the difference when that difficult selection was made.
Actually read Tim Heming’s article rather than the OP’s take and some other-worldliness ^^.
https://www.220triathlon.com/…-dnf-in-the-olympics
@Lurker4: “there are other nations and athletes who were excluded from competition just so he could swim bike and DNF.” Nope: no other nations and the only athlete who was, in this context, excluded was Brownlee junior, who would have been required to do exactly the same.
Essentially they fixed the match. We don’t call it that, but its contrary to sport.Even for this place that is impressive hyperbole. Dickinson had zero effect on the outcome of the men’s race
“they fixed the match” Sorry: in what way, exactly?
“its contrary to sport” BS
“Dickinson had zero effect on the outcome of the men’s race” I have suggested above how he maximised Yee’s chances: not a lot but a bit.
“There could be a requirement that no athlete who fails to complete the individual event before the cut off can compete in the relay.” Completely impractical. By all means give an example of other sports where the failure to complete one race (not a heat) means an athlete cannot compete in another race.
Absolutely. There’s a right way to do it & a wrong way to do it. Waving to the crowd & all that falls into the latter category imo. Was really rooting for Wilde after that. Just jog it in or drop out quietly. But I do think it’s a problem. & the US wanted to pull off something similar. You put a guy like Rider on the team to pull Morgan/do better in the relay versus giving Matt Mac a chance at a decent result. GB was just better at it.
It reveals a problem with picking the same athletes to do both events. If you’re signed up for both events, you should do both. It might be silly to insist that a racer make a concerted effort to …err… race, but there are other nations and athletes who were excluded from competition just so he could swim bike and DNF.
It should rub us the wrong way, but who knows what can be done?
ironman has such a great rule to prevent such issues they could just copy it …
It reveals a problem with picking the same athletes to do both events. If you’re signed up for both events, you should do both. It might be silly to insist that a racer make a concerted effort to …err… race, but there are other nations and athletes who were excluded from competition just so he could swim bike and DNF.
It should rub us the wrong way, but who knows what can be done?
They could require athletes to finish the race in order to be eligible for the mixed relay. If you are missing an athlete, your team is out. Might get tricky with some that genuinely made an effort to finish but couldn’t due to a crash, etc.
It reveals a problem with picking the same athletes to do both events. If you’re signed up for both events, you should do both. It might be silly to insist that a racer make a concerted effort to …err… race, but there are other nations and athletes who were excluded from competition just so he could swim bike and DNF.
It should rub us the wrong way, but who knows what can be done?
They could require athletes to finish the race in order to be eligible for the mixed relay. If you are missing an athlete, your team is out. Might get tricky with some that genuinely made an effort to finish but couldn’t due to a crash, etc.
I think that’s a tough requirement. You’d end up with situations like Marc Jenkins in Athens who carried his broken bike for 2km and then finished dead last, because he wanted to say that he’d finished at the Olympics. I wouldn’t have fancied his chances much in a MTR a few days later if it had existed then.
I understand it’s triathlon at a professional level, but does Sam Dickinson’s DNF go against the spirit of the sport? He was Yee’s unofficial domestique, as soon as Yee overtook him on the run, he cheered him on then gave up and quit… he wasn’t injured, his job was done. Saving himself for the relays, but still seems really lame.
https://www.220triathlon.com/news/paris-triathlon-was-sam-dickinson-right-to-dnf-in-the-olympics
Yet another part of the Olympics triathlon farce of qualification and selection.
I recall some other athletes did the same in Tokyo to save themselvesfor the relays.
Do they hold the same -‘rules’ for having to qualify and be in the individual race in other sports ? Like swimming relays, doubles tennis, numerous running relays, pairs diving, etc. Nope.
They won the gold, and only if you know the finer points of how bike tactics work, can you see that he did help his teammate. Had Yee been in his usual spot with Hayden and in the chase pack, it would have been even more important to have him there. You all that think he did nothing, you have to consider the nuances of body blows in triathlon. Yes all came together in the end, but at what costs? And what about T2 positioning, there is just so much there he was doing to make it easier for his guy, and harder for all the others…
Its fine he bugged out too, he has another race to have to come up big in. And his run is where it will be tough, so skipping the 10k slog is the right and smart thing to do. He doesnt require a finisher shirt or medal, he did his job, and no doubt was paid for it too…
Absolutely. There’s a right way to do it & a wrong way to do it. Waving to the crowd & all that falls into the latter category imo. Was really rooting for Wilde after that. Just jog it in or drop out quietly. But I do think it’s a problem. & the US wanted to pull off something similar. You put a guy like Rider on the team to pull Morgan/do better in the relay versus giving Matt Mac a chance at a decent result. GB was just better at it.
GB just actually had an athlete that could win unlike the US…
I understand it’s triathlon at a professional level, but does Sam Dickinson’s DNF go against the spirit of the sport? He was Yee’s unofficial domestique, as soon as Yee overtook him on the run, he cheered him on then gave up and quit… he wasn’t injured, his job was done. Saving himself for the relays, but still seems really lame.
https://www.220triathlon.com/news/paris-triathlon-was-sam-dickinson-right-to-dnf-in-the-olympics
Yet another part of the Olympics triathlon farce of qualification and selection.
I recall some other athletes did the same in Tokyo to save themselvesfor the relays.
Do they hold the same -‘rules’ for having to qualify and be in the individual race in other sports ? Like swimming relays, doubles tennis, numerous running relays, pairs diving, etc. Nope.
Great point. Imagine if a swimmer was coming 6th, no chance of podiuming, gave up and swam to the side of the pool to save themselves for the relay…
Basically he just shouldn’t have made a performance of his early finish, just be discreet and no one would give a shit. He put on a show with it, was a dick move.
Great point. Imagine if a swimmer was coming 6th, no chance of podiuming, gave up and swam to the side of the pool to save themselves for the relay…//
Dumb analogy…How about when a running back gets tired, he comes out to rest, or a guard on a Bball team comes out to sit the bench for awhile, or a sub in for a water polo player?? See the connection to the team sport of triathlon where there is more than one race???