According to www.donfink.com, Spencer Smith was DQ’d from the recent Disney Half on penalties he received on the run, while in contention for top prize money. The nature of these penalties was suspicious at best. One was for receiving “unauthorized assistance” (his wife briefly ran along side him to cheer him on) and the other for “discarding equipment” (he lost his hat in the wind and didn’t pick it back up). You have to scratch your head…are they just picking on this great athlete? Ultracrew2
I think all the crap that happens to him is Karma for beating the drug charges. Cheaters never win.
Discarding equipment is fair enough, it’s a pretty firm rule. I can understand if his hat blew off into the river running over a bridge or something like that, then I think discretion is called for, otherwise he should have known better and collected his hat.
The cheering from his wife sounds like a pretty dubious call and probably a bit harsh, although depends on the circumstances. My thoughts are that unless she ran more than 100m with him then so be it, maybe she got excited, in which case he needs some leeway to say thanks for the support honey but sorry you can’t run with me. If she did run more than 100m with him then they both really should have known better and then maybe the penalty isn’t so outrageous.
Anyway, just looking at possibilities, anyone know the details?
ezrahallam- have some respect for a great athlete, what the hell. you, sir are a chump.
also, it does seem like some of these drafting marshals, etc have pretty big heads/egos. what- do they just wait and lurk until one of the pros drops a gel packet or h20 bottle so they can dq them? these guys depend on prize money to pay the bills- it’s not as glamorous as many here might think. if the officials could spend some time breaking up the 50-person peletons on the bike course and stop trying to dq the more famous pros and make themselves look big, maybe these guys could actually focus on racing, eh?
dude, he won several world championships (i think 3) well before he ever tested positive for anything.
I do have respect for great athletes, who don’t cheat. It is interesting how apologetic people are for athletes they like (Tyler Hamilton, Spencer Smith), and will crucify those they don’t (Barry Bonds, Ben Johnson, Marco Pantani).
According to www.donfink.com, Spencer Smith was DQ’d from the recent Disney Half on penalties he received on the run, while in contention for top prize money. The nature of these penalties was suspicious at best. **One was for receiving “unauthorized assistance” (his wife briefly ran along side him to cheer him on) **and the other for “discarding equipment” (he lost his hat in the wind and didn’t pick it back up). You have to scratch your head…are they just picking on this great athlete? Ultracrew2
Now there’s were they went wrong. What they should have done is start their own coaching biz and sponsor INMA events. Then she could ride along side him on her MTB all day long if she wanted to. 
Perhaps testing positive explains his previous victories. It’s possible, though difficult to believe, that he tested positive after only the first time he used a banned substance. That’s like saying you believe Virenque or Pantani never doped in the years before they tested positive. It’s possible, but unlikely.
Amazing!
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Indeed, Spencer Smith seems to be cursed. If nothing changes in his career, he will likley go down as the most talented triathlete to not have really fullfilled his potential. I had the pleasure of watching him absolutly crush the competition as a Junior at the world championships in 1992. That kind of fitness, talent and drive typically goes onto something big later on in life.
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Rules are great to have, and should be adhered to and enforced. In no way to I condone reckless racing, but this sport is getting way to complicated for it’s own good to the point that it is going to look very silly one day when a minor, accidental and in advertant infraction, results in someone being DQ’d from a very big win.
Fleck
Wasn’t Kate Major given a run penalty for similar outside assistance last year in Kona?
Probably cost her 2nd place. I’ll leave to the others to remember who did get 2nd, and what that might imply given the earlier posts on this subject.
As for the rules, I was wondering why Stadler did not get DQ’d at Hawaii for taking an ice cream. It would have been the most ridiculous DQ in history and none of us would have stood for it. But what is the difference in that and getting encouragement from your wife? Some of the rules are a little goofy.
Wow,
I should have lost my fourth place finish at a race last year then. (my girlfriend ran beside me at that the turnaround) And I did pick up my pace! Nobody wants to suck in front of their girlfriend/wife!
I think i’m going to write a letter tomorrow to protest my finish! 
Although, here’s a point… Seems kind of frivilous to me. Shouldn’t we get DQ’ed for shedding our swim caps in slightly warm swims? I’m such a cheater!!!
Neither Virenque nor Pantani ever tested positive.
You’re right. Substitue Millar for the sake of my analogy.
Actually, Millar did not test positive either.
There actually aren’t that many guys out there who test postive. Abdujaparov, Hamilton, and Moninger are the only high profile guys I can think of who tested positive for something. It’s usually guys returning HCT’s that are too high (like Pantani, which results in a ~2 week suspension), or authorities finding nasty stuff (Millar, Virenque/Festina, etc.). This begs the question of whether all the drug tests are really doing any good.
Shouldn’t we get DQ’ed for shedding our swim caps in slightly warm swims?
Yes, we should, I don’t think turtles should be eating latex swim caps because you felt hot while swimming.
The wife thing is shit - a popular multi time female winner at IMLP I once saw next to her husband (who happens to be her coach) - he was on a mountain bike for no less than 5 miles - handed her water bottles and verbally coaxed her along during a hard time on the run…I guess that is all fair though…uh huh…fair…
You mean stuff actually lives in that sewage we have to swim through?
Described as “his wife briefly ran along side him to cheer him on” I am very skeptical and seriously doubt that it was that simple or innocent. Officials need to establish compelling reasons and evidence for each and every violation. Violations that effect the outcome of a race require serious scrutiny by the head official and I’ve never known one to to be cavalier about it. Discarded equipment is just that and every pro/amateur knows it.
Kevin in MD…
Perhaps I should have been clear… I have never personally done so (I was referring to having my g-friend coaxing me)… My point was that, in all things being fair, we should get DQ’ed for such activity if we’re preaching fairness in triathlon.
Besides, my girlfriend being WAY more environmentally conscious than the average American, I wouldn’t get lucky for at least a couple of days if I were to partake in such activity (I even stuff empty cliff shot packets in my singlet)
I have had a cheap cap rip on me in a race because I have such a disproportionally large dome!