Rules in every sport are always a hot topic and triathlon is no exception – whether you are an elite pro or an Age Grouper.
The laws which govern a sport – and the minutiae which accompany them – often produce some of the most epic rants and most heated arguments. The latest came courtesy of former long-course star and now media pundit Tim Don.
Don used his ’60-Second Soapbox’ at the end of the latest Super League Triathlon ‘Short Chute Show’ to rail against some of the rules which often drive competitors mad in swim/bike/run.
We don’t really want to interrupt Tim’s flow here with meaningless interludes, so here it is – the full rant. And yes, he did manage to say all of this (and more) in 60 seconds.
Tim Don rants at ‘stupid’ triathlon rules
“Time penalties in triathlon for being late at briefings, washing your goggles in the water on the start line. That should be a money penalty, not a time penalty. Things like spitting in sports, an endurance sport, should be a money penalty not a time penalty.
“These stupid rules, you get a penalty for littering – I get that, you throw a piece of litter in long course, you get a penalty. When you are riding along and a water bottle bounces out, people are getting penalties for that – that is absolutely stupid.
“Why do we have number belts? These are stupid rules. I know marshals need them to say ‘number 66, you’re crossing the white line’. Have 66 on your arm and your leg. Number belts look unprofessional – they look absolutely rubbish.
Drafting – sort it out!
“Another stupid rule – 20-metre rule for drafting, 12-metre rule, Race Ranger. We need everyone to come together and come up with one rule. We don’t have an offside rule for the Premier League, an offside rule for something else.
“Roth, the 50mm shoe rule – why do we have that? I think that’s rubbish. They should stick with everyone else.”
You can watch the entire ‘Short Chute Show’ – complete with Don’s rant – by clicking on the embed below.
