The times don’t seem to be right unless the age groupers all swam faster than the pros. Following a friend who just about cut his swim PR time in half. 
I know a couple of years ago the pros had to swim upstream a bit. But for the AG they nixed the upstream part.
No idea if that happened here but could explain it. Especially if there was strong current. Shortened swim + downstream current = PR!!
couple athlete files i saw had about 1300 yds and it was all downriver. Don’t know anything for sure but doesn’t look like it was 2100.
like in 2017…pro’s swam the entire swim course (including upriver portion) whereas they shortened it for the AGers. Right off the dock and directly downriver. I wouldn’t be doing a lot of swim comparisons between pro’s and AGers today.
They cut the upstream. My yardage per watch was 1369
What was the “reason†given? Or is this just turning into an annual thing?
I just asked my friend who raced today. She said “the current was too strong, the elites couldn’t do it”.
So the swim is already the shortest - time wise - and they chop one - third off of that? Charming.
I just asked my friend who raced today. She said “the current was too strong, the elites couldn’t do it”.
Except that wasn’t true at all. The pro swim splits were perfectly normal for a non-wetsuit swim.
Ironman has a swim problem. Big time. They cancel, cut and make it easy based on any pre-text they can imagine or conjure up. This sucks.
I just asked my friend who raced today. She said “the current was too strong, the elites couldn’t do it”.
Except that wasn’t true at all. The pro swim splits were perfectly normal for a non-wetsuit swim.
No, they were pretty slow considering it’s like 400 upstream 1500 downstream
I just asked my friend who raced today. She said “the current was too strong, the elites couldn’t do it”.
Except that wasn’t true at all. The pro swim splits were perfectly normal for a non-wetsuit swim.
Not really when you look at the downstream swim times and think how long that short upstream portion took even the pros to finish
Ironman has a swim problem. Big time. They cancel, cut and make it easy based on any pre-text they can imagine or conjure up. This sucks.
I think 90% of triathletes have a swim problem. Fix that, and we can have legit swims.
This. People like to blame Ironman. But holy moly, I’ve yet to do a 70.3 and there issues at your local novice pool sprint.
I just asked my friend who raced today. She said “the current was too strong, the elites couldn’t do it”.
Except that wasn’t true at all. The pro swim splits were perfectly normal for a non-wetsuit swim.
Not really when you look at the downstream swim times and think how long that short upstream portion took even the pros to finish
I don’t know what the current was but anytime you run into a situation where you could have the stragglers in essentially an endless pool then you are going to have a problem. The solution is to separate the field between those who are competitive and competing versus those completing. I think we really need a competitive wave for this reason.
They did the same at ITU World’s a few weeks ago in Spain. Even Javier Gomez swam 1500 instead of the 3000…but that change was more due to the cold (58/59 F), but it was half upstream, half down. The day before, one athlete from Britain said it took him 21 minutes to swim to “whatever buoy” and 7 to come back. Nothing wrong with making sure the athletes are safe.
Also, there were 20 people pulled in the first few waves. I saw one guy not even make it to the first buoy swimming upstream, the current was so strong. He got pulled as I watched from shore.
During my wave, we were PUSHING eachother forward at the turn buoy because nobody could get around it due to the current, it bottlenecked. I can only surmise that under any conditions that could be a danger by a risk of life, that Chatanooga 70.3 or any other branded or non-branded race, has the right to alter the course, or pull the swim from being part of it. It is the responsible thing to due & I stand by the race director’s decision–even if I don’t like it as I enjoy the swim portion.
I just asked my friend who raced today. She said “the current was too strong, the elites couldn’t do it”.
Except that wasn’t true at all. The pro swim splits were perfectly normal for a non-wetsuit swim.
Not really when you look at the downstream swim times and think how long that short upstream portion took even the pros to finish
I don’t know what the current was but anytime you run into a situation where you could have the stragglers in essentially an endless pool then you are going to have a problem. The solution is to separate the field between those who are competitive and competing versus those completing. I think we really need a competitive wave for this reason.
I haven’t downloaded my swim file but comparing to last year Starky swam an 19:xx and this year fastest swim was 22:xx. Last year I swam a 22:xx and this year a 27:xx. Honestly I didn’t really feel much of an issue with the current but at the pro meeting Saturday they said it was really strong and they hoped when the shut whatever flow off it would slow down. But I guess they didn’t like the upstream swim times of the pros and shortened it!
But good for them for already having the alternate course set up either way and assuming they did what they said in the pro meeting they delayed the AG swim start to allow women pros same head start as they would have with a normal swim.
Ironman has a swim problem. Big time. They cancel, cut and make it easy based on any pre-text they can imagine or conjure up. This sucks.
Agreed.
I know it’s dreaming, but it would be nice to see m-DOT cater half as much to those that want drafting enforcement on the bike as they cater to those who wish it was a duathlon
ETA: and before people start in with the “it’s about the SAFETY” line: B.S. - just don’t start with that. This is about catering to athletes who don’t want to put in the time to prepare for the course they signed up for.
I think 90% of triathletes have a swim problem. Fix that, and we can have legit swims.
^ that
I was pretty disappointed they cut the swim… I was ready for a PR today and that went out the window when they cut the swim.
I was there 2 years ago and I remember watching several pros really struggle getting upriver. That was not the case yesterday. The problem is they are trying to please the masses… I’m sure there were 100s if not 1000s of folks that may have not made it. But, that’s what you signed up for, a challenge. Come prepared.