Three sports mixed into one, triathlon is a modern sport.
Something very close to the modern-day triathlon had started taking shape in the early twentieth
century in France, but the modern version emerged in the recent past.
The origin of the sport can be traced back to the multi-event races that were staged
in France during the 1920s.
More specific regulations and events emerged in Southern California during the late 1970s
when sports groups and individuals developed the sport of triathlon.
Due to the scattered nature of evolution, the sport has seen many variations and for
a long time now, no unified rules and regulations have existed.
This lack of unified rules has hampered the growth of Triathlon at the global level for
all these years.
But with time, the sport was regulated and organizations started taking control of the
sport.
Variations continue to exist to this day, with different organizations preferring minor
modifications to the rules.
Despite variations, triathlon is now largely guided by the same basic rules.
These rules may sound simple but many beginners continue to make mistakes that cost them their
valuable time.
In this video, we will be discussing the rules that you as a budding triathlete or even as
a fan must know.
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Triathlon events attract a large number of athletes.
Because of this, officiating is required to keep things in order.
Because of the nature of a triathlon event, certain rules and regulations are enacted,
with the competitors' safety as the utmost priority.
The basics of a triathlon are simple.
There are three disciplines: swimming, biking, and running.
The athlete who completes all three of these in the least time is declared the winner.
Sounds simple.
Right?
But these are just the basics.
Let us move into the nuances of the sport.
One of the first things to understand about triathlon is that it is an individual sport.
Each competitor competes against the clock to see who can finish the race in the shortest
amount of time.
As a result, except for race-sanctioned aid workers who provide food and drink on the
course, participants are not permitted to receive assistance from anybody else outside
of the event.
Another thing to remember is that before mounting their bike, competitors must have their helmets
on and properly strapped.
At the same time, the race number must be pinned on and visible clearly on the racer’s
bike and helmet.
Another biking rule is that the athletes while biking should maintain a two-bike distance
between them and the rider racing ahead of them.
There must be a decent amount of distance between the riders.
Competitors must ride their bikes as far as possible to the right side of the lane.
They can only pass on the left and then must return to the right immediately.
The bikers who do not follow this rule are considered to be blocking their opponents.
For this reason, always allow the quickest biker to move past ahead.
Another strict rule for the competitors is that they are not permitted to ride with headphones
on.
They must be alert and aware, as well as familiar with the course.
At the end of the biking session, riders must appropriately rack their bikes and show consideration
for the equipment of others.
In the transition area, racers must walk or run; no riding is permitted until they reach
the mount line.
Throughout the race, athletes must wear their timing chips.
They must pass it over to a race official after crossing the finish line to earn an
official time.
All personal goods and equipment brought onto the course must remain with the athlete throughout
the race.
No garbage, clothing, or other items may be thrown on the course unless a race official
has permitted him to do so.
Last but not the least, race officials and marshals must be obeyed without question.
Other triathlon rules differ from event to event, but they usually include explanations
of which equipments are permissible and which are not.
Wetsuits are allowed in USAT events during the swimming portion of some races when the
water temperature is below 78.1 °F, and there are no rules prohibiting participants from
interfering with each other.
In addition, using flippers or other swim propulsion and flotation aids is prohibited
in triathlons and can lead to disqualification.
Other time penalties can be earned throughout the race for drafting on the bike in a non-drafting
race, incorrect passing, littering on the course, and unsportsmanlike behavior, among
other things.
Now that we know about the rules, let us also talk a bit more about the penalties that are
awarded if an athlete is found to be violating any of these.
Most of the above-discussed violations invite time penalties.
For instance, a 15-second time penalty at the London 2012 Olympics was awarded to Jonathan
Brownlee, of Great Britain, for mounting his bike too early.
That means if the person finishes their race in 3 hours, an extra fifteen seconds are added
to their finish time for not obeying the rules of the competition.
The amount of penalty time changes according to the distance of a race.
In a long-distance triathlon, a first offense invites damage of four minutes for the athlete,
while the same offense will be punished with only a one-minute penalty in a short race.
Also, in most of these offenses, it is the race director who decides the penalty.
If the race director feels so, he can also disqualify athletes from competing in the
race.
The rules and regulations of triathlon are simply designed to safeguard triathletes from
the many dangers that can arise while racing in an event as extensive as a triathlon.
Throughout any national or international triathlon, all regulations, or modest changes of them,
are routinely enforced.
Most of these rules, however, are quite simple and easy to keep in mind.
Triathletes, if they enjoy the sport, can easily remember them all and ensure that they
abide by all of them.
Train hard, be fit and enjoy the sport, all of the rest will fall in line on their own.
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