In short course the time is also to oshort for no drafting, imagine 65 guys all getting out of the water within 40 seconds of each other then having to drop back to a non draft distance. That over a kilometer from front to back. They have now been forced to wait up for minutes in the early stages of riding to get started racing. Non draft at this level is the biggest, dumbest, impossible idea. Imagine 60 guys in a super sprint, the 10 seconds out the water behind 1st would blow out to minutes, last out of water maybe 15s down but would be giving away half his ride distance in draft zoning (bit exaggerated but you get the drift). The run is about 5 mins. No time to make up the distance given away. BORING.
These are triathlons not swimming races, with shorter distances non drafting becomes a swimming race, not because athletes can help each other to catch but because being forced to drop back favors only the fastest swimmer. The reason Stapley said all that is purely because he is a faster swimmer than cyclist and runner. Favors him.