Rule: Removing Wetsuit before Transition

dapower

Does anyone know the official ITU rule on whether you can remove your wetsuit before you get to transition? Say there's a long run from swim exit to transition entry - I prefer to take it off immediately and run with it over my shoulder. I was told by spectators at a recent race that TOs were DQing people...just wondering if this is true? I can't see details online.
David

Keeks

I am open to correction on this but I don't think it is the removal of the wetsuit is the problem, but the stopping bit.....you have to keep moving

EC1000

No idea whether there is a specific rule that deals with this but I would imagine that if a wetsuit in mandatory for the swim leg then you should wear it to transition as that is where the swim leg finishes. However, I've been in situations as you describe and it is quite common for races to allow this. Perhaps ask the organiser if it is a problem for you?

Kurt.Godel

Like yourself I always strip my wetsuit out of the water if there's a long run to T1 (if a short run-in, goggles and hat come off and arms are stripped while running). I can't see why any TO could be handing out penalties to anyone stripping their wetsuit once out of the water. There's nothing in the rules against it, AFAIK. You can't intentionally impede a fellow competitor during the race, but stepping to the side of traffic to strip the suit is easily done.

RacoonQueen

In Ironman you can strip it to the waist only. Not sure it that is an Ironman rule or ITU rule.

Keeks

Keeks wrote: »

I am open to correction on this but I don't think it is the removal of the wetsuit is the problem, but the stopping bit.....you have to keep moving

Went looking and this is what i was referring to...this could be the issue....I don't think there si a specific rule about taking off your wetsuit before reaching your transition point, but you can't stop to take it off.....so if you can't whip it off while moving then shouldn't be an issue

7. TRANSITION AREA CONDUCT:
7.1. General Rules:

j.) Athetes can not stop in the flow zones of the transition area;

BTH

The OP is a TI race official/referee. So the fact that he isn't even aware of the rule here would explain why no one has been pulled up in an Irish race for this. Makes sense though, those chutes can be narrow especially when there's a large group out together.

68 lost souls

I have heard it stated in a race briefing in a national series race last year that it is not allowed but I don't think there is an official rule on it at stopping the flow of traffic as mentioned. I believe the one stated in the briefing I was at related specifically to that race

Keeks

68 lost souls wrote: »

I have heard it stated in a race briefing in a national series race last year that it is not allowed but I don't think there is an official rule on it at stopping the flow of traffic as mentioned. I believe the one stated in the briefing I was at related specifically to that race

What I have quoted above is rule 7.1.J from the current version of the ITU rules from the Ti website

http://www.triathlon.org/uploads/docs/itusport_competition-rules_2017.pdf

68 lost souls

Keeks wrote: »

What I have quoted above is rule 7.1.J from the current version of the ITU rules from the Ti website

http://www.triathlon.org/uploads/docs/itusport_competition-rules_2017.pdf

I miss typed sorry I meant other than the obstructing people I don't believe there is an official ITU rule that relates to the removal of a wetsuit. I corrected my origional post

dapower

Ok, helpful. I understand the rule about blocking the flow in transition area, but where does transition start? Is it when you immediately exit the water or is it when you enter the transition area where the bikes are? If there's a 500m gap is that considered part of transition or part of swim? I guess it's probably transition as you're not "swimming". Ok maybe that's it, it's the stopping that's the problem, not the wetsuit removal. Just have to master taking it off while keeping forward momentum :-)

Kurt.Godel

dapower wrote: »

Ok, helpful. I understand the rule about blocking the flow in transition area, but where does transition start? Is it when you immediately exit the water or is it when you enter the transition area where the bikes are? If there's a 500m gap is that considered part of transition or part of swim? I guess it's probably transition as you're not "swimming". Ok maybe that's it, it's the stopping that's the problem, not the wetsuit removal. Just have to master taking it off while keeping forward momentum :-)

Transition start (and exit) are well-defined, I would have thought. IMO stripping a wetsuit when out of the water is like dismounting your bike before the dismount line- nothing against it so long as you're not impeding other athletes.

RacoonQueen

Kurt.Godel wrote: »

Transition start (and exit) are well-defined, I would have thought. IMO stripping a wetsuit when out of the water is like dismounting your bike before the dismount line- nothing against it so long as you're not impeding other athletes.

What is the benefit though to taking it off before you get to your bike? I remember someone shouting to me at a race because I was still zipped up as I ran to my bike. My T1 was still faster than most of my clubmates that day...

Have seen people saying to take it off as soon as you're out of the water but I don't get what they think the benefit of that is.

Kurt.Godel

RacoonQueen wrote: »

What is the benefit though to taking it off before you get to your bike? I remember someone shouting to me at a race because I was still zipped up as I ran to my bike. My T1 was still faster than most of my clubmates that day...

Have seen people saying to take it off as soon as you're out of the water but I don't get what they think the benefit of that is.

Its only a benefit if a long run from swim exit to trans start (easier to run without wetsuit on). I can only think of three races I'd bother to strip, Tri the Hook and Dunmore East (long run up a cliff) and Wicklow Tri (350m run to T1).

joey100

Isn't it easier to get the wetsuit off the wetter it is too? Like Kurt says though not may races that it would be of benefit that I can think of. See it a lot in coverage of Ironman Wales though, wetsuits stripped before the long run to T1.

RacoonQueen

joey100 wrote: »

Isn't it easier to get the wetsuit off the wetter it is too? Like Kurt says though not may races that it would be of benefit that I can think of. See it a lot in coverage of Ironman Wales though, wetsuits stripped before the long run to T1.

Is that allowed? Race briefing from Italy specifically said wetsuits could only be stripped to the waist prior to the change tent? Run from swim exit to bike start in Italy was about 1200m so similar to Wales, I think?

Edit: Wales is 1K from swim exit to start of transition so I expect rules differ for that reason.