Triathlon

[Petcha]

What's this mixed relay thing they just mentioned then. That could be a blast.

 

[belboid]

“The mixed relay will feature teams of four (two men and two women) each performing a shorter triathlon comprised of a 300m swim, 6.8km cycle and 2 km run, in the order of woman-man-woman-man.”

Sounds fun

 

[twistedAM]

I think most triathlons don’t allow drafting… on a swift google it was only allowed when the sport was introduced to the Olympics in 2000. So presumably applies to many Olympic distance events now, but not other events.

In other triathlon events (particularly long ones) you can gain a significant advantage by getting good on the bike, as they’re effectively ITTs. But yeah with drafting the pursuing group will always be stronger than an individual rider.

Interestingly drafting is also significant in swimming, and has always been allowed there.

That's what I thought but there was just people getting into the back of a group and staying there.
Interestingly though they weren't working as a group taking turns on the front. maybe thats not allowed.
Nothing much happened in either of the cycling legs apart from some women coming down in the wet.

 

[Lord Camomile]

“The mixed relay will feature teams of four (two men and two women) each performing a shorter triathlon comprised of a 300m swim, 6.8km cycle and 2 km run, in the order of woman-man-woman-man.”

Sounds fun

Yeah, that could be interesting!

I'm assuming we'd be in with a good shout of a medal, given our relative strength in both the men's and women's?

 

[Elpenor]

Yeah, that could be interesting!

I'm assuming we'd be in with a good shout of a medal, given our relative strength in both the men's and women's?

Much shorter distances than the Olympic distance, so may favour a different class of athlete, but yeah sounds promising.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Much shorter distances than the Olympic distance, so may favour a different class of athlete, but yeah sounds promising.

Ah, yes, very good point.

 

[Cid]

I do sometimes wonder whether some events are just to get a few extra medals in. I mean why else does modern pentathlon exist?

 

[belboid]

I do sometimes wonder whether some events are just to get a few extra medals in. I mean why else does modern pentathlon exist?

Same reason most of them (including dressage ffs) do - because they had some use in more military times.

 

[Cid]

Same reason most of them (including dressage ffs) do - because they had some use in more military times.

Ahhh... that makes sense. Still batshit mind you.

 

[marty21]

Great silver medal for Georgia Taylor Brown, especially after a puncture in the cycling.

That was exciting, I thought you could get bike wheels changed , but she just cycled with a flat for a couple of miles!

She reeled in several to get her Silver .

 

[Elpenor]

I do sometimes wonder whether some events are just to get a few extra medals in. I mean why else does modern pentathlon exist?

I think it’s meant to be the ultimate test of a soldier, or in current times an athlete.

 

[A380]

I think it’s meant to be the ultimate test of a soldier, or in current times an athlete.

Modern Pentathlon apparently based on the skills a junior cavalry officer would need as a general's galloper delivering a message on the battlefields of the 19th Century

So presumably modern modern pentathlon could be someone using a secure iPhone...

 

[marty21]

Modern Pentathlon apparently based on the skills a junior cavalry officer would need as a general's galloper delivering a message on the battlefields of the 19th Century

So presumably modern modern pentathlon could be someone using a secure iPhone...

Chucking it as far as they can and then getting a decent phone #AmIRight ?

 

[Hollis]

I do sometimes wonder whether some events are just to get a few extra medals in. I mean why else does modern pentathlon exist?

I'd beg to disagree on this - I think the pentathlon is truely in the Olympic spirit of what an athlete is. Why should it just be about being good at 1 event. They have similar in cycling don't they..

I do, in my more cynical moments, sometimes wonder if the Triathlon was designed to ensure loads of rich people spend shed loads of money on kit however - I mean it's a sports companies dream.

Back 30 years ago, I used to know an athlete who'd taken part in the world triathlon championships.. she was telling me she only started doing it because her husband was a triathlete, and she got bored of watching the races. * sigh *

 

[Hollis]

Personally I think they should make the Ironman Triathlon an Olympic sport - much more fun that these short distance versions..

Swim 2.4m
Cycling 112m
Run - marathon

 

[Elpenor]

A cynic says triathlon allows western countries to succeed in Olympic endurance sport, given the East African dominance of middle / long distances

 

[Elpenor]

Personally I think they should make the Ironman Triathlon an Olympic sport - much more fun that these short distance versions..

Swim 2.4m
Cycling 112m
Run - marathon

Why not Deca-Ironman? Would take up the whole Olympic period

 

[Hollis]

That's more like it - none of these mickey-mouse sports - I mean 100m sprint..

 

[UrbaneFox]

I'll watch the womens race tonight. Tbh I found it quite difficult to work out what the hell was going on. I assume most triathletes have one or two disciplines they're stronger in than the other, but thas wasn't how it seemed to work last night.

I watched the last five minutes of the women's race, which was like watching paint dry. It might have been better with some crowd support, but there was only the magnolia commentary.

 

[dessiato]

I think most triathlons don’t allow drafting… on a swift google it was only allowed when the sport was introduced to the Olympics in 2000. So presumably applies to many Olympic distance events now, but not other events.

When I did triathlon drafting was illegal. But that was about 2000, so it might have changed away from the Olympics too.

 

[A380]

Personally I think they should make the Ironman Triathlon an Olympic sport - much more fun that these short distance versions..

Swim 2.4m
Cycling 112m
Run - marathon

Lightweight: Distances should be the equivalent of running London to Dover, swimming the channel and cycling to Paris...

 

[Elpenor]

I'd beg to disagree on this - I think the pentathlon is truely in the Olympic spirit of what an athlete is. Why should it just be about being good at 1 event. They have similar in cycling don't they..

I do, in my more cynical moments, sometimes wonder if the Triathlon was designed to ensure loads of rich people spend shed loads of money on kit however - I mean it's a sports companies dream.

Back 30 years ago, I used to know an athlete who'd taken part in the world triathlon championships.. she was telling me she only started doing it because her husband was a triathlete, and she got bored of watching the races. * sigh *

Certainly representing GB as an age-grouper wasn’t that hard as I knew of a few people who did it 12 or so years ago - you had to be reasonably good but it seemed that being keen enough to enter it was more important.

Of the people I knew who did Ironman they included builders, roofers, 999 call handlers as well as middle class people. Like Ultras though the market has largely priced itself to aim for city boy / mid life crisis rich twats with high disposable income, which excludes a lot of ordinary people.

 

[Guineveretoo]

What’s “drafting” in this context?

 

[Cid]

What’s “drafting” in this context?

Cycling directly behind another cyclist. It provides a major aerodynamic advantage (which improves the more cyclists there are in front of you), and means you spend less energy to go the same speed.

 

[baldrick]

Certainly representing GB as an age-grouper wasn’t that hard as I knew of a few people who did it 12 or so years ago - you had to be reasonably good but it seemed that being keen enough to enter it was more important.

Of the people I knew who did Ironman they included builders, roofers, 999 call handlers as well as people. Like Ultras though the market has largely priced itself to aim for city boy / mid life crisis rich twats with high disposable income, which excludes a lot of ordinary people.

Doesn't it cost money to represent GB as an age-grouper in triathlon? I have a couple of acquaintances who have done it. You have to pay for kit and so on. Bit of a rip-off iirc. Agree that triathlon appeals to a certain demographic, particularly branded Ironman events. I wouldn't say the same about ultras. People have been very scathing about the UTMB/Ironman collaboration and a lot of the negative press has been around the environmental/consumerism side of encouraging long haul flights with their 'world series' events. An increasing number of prominent athletes are making a point of cutting down on the number of races they do in other parts of the world.

 

[Elpenor]

Doesn't it cost money to represent GB as an age-grouper in triathlon? I have a couple of acquaintances who have done it. You have to pay for kit and so on. Bit of a rip-off iirc. Agree that triathlon appeals to a certain demographic, particularly branded Ironman events. I wouldn't say the same about ultras. People have been very scathing about the UTMB/Ironman collaboration and a lot of the negative press has been around the environmental/consumerism side of encouraging long haul flights with their 'world series' events. An increasing number of prominent athletes are making a point of cutting down on the number of races they do in other parts of the world.

I’m sure it does cost money, and I suppose being keen involves being keen to pay for the kit.

I would say that the ultra scene I started out doing has changed immeasurably with Centurion and other brands copying the big American 100s and getting big on the social media etc. It all began with Marathon of Britain / Ambition Events run by a certain Rory Coleman (who once threatened to sue me for calling his events overpriced). What used to be grassroots has gone corporate which I suppose is capitalism for you.

A few events were still old-school, low key etc - the much missed Caesars Camp event near Aldershot was one such. But entry fees are now easily over a ton when they used to be £25-40, kit too has gone up massively.

 

[twistedAM]

I do, in my more cynical moments, sometimes wonder if the Triathlon was designed to ensure loads of rich people spend shed loads of money on kit however - I mean it's a sports companies dream.

Me too
Speedo: "Hey Nike, how's it going"
Nike: "Just a minute let get Specialized in on this call"
Speclaized: "More Doillars. Cool."

 

[Cid]

Me too
Speedo: "Hey Nike, how's it going"
Nike: "Just a minute let get Specialized in on this call"
Speclaized: "More Doillars. Cool."

Fair... But if you restrict yourself to sports that aren't heavily marketised as soon as they're popular you're stuck with:

Um...

Can't really think of any tbh.

 

[baldrick]

I’m sure it does cost money, and I suppose being keen involves being keen to pay for the kit.

I would say that the ultra scene I started out doing has changed immeasurably with Centurion and other brands copying the big American 100s and getting big on the social media etc. It all began with Marathon of Britain / Ambition Events run by a certain Rory Coleman (who once threatened to sue me for calling his events overpriced). What used to be grassroots has gone corporate which I suppose is capitalism for you.

A few events were still old-school, low key etc - the much missed Caesars Camp event near Aldershot was one such. But entry fees are now easily over a ton when they used to be £25-40, kit too has gone up massively.

There's still low key events around. I think there's worse brands than Centurion on the ultra scene. Dixons Carphone Race to the Stones anyone?

 

[Elpenor]

There's still low key events around. I think there's worse brands than Centurion on the ultra scene. Dixons Carphone Race to the Stones anyone?

That one is particularly shameful. I think I am perhaps a bit bitter and twisted, as I cut my teeth in ultras 15 years ago at events which were chilled out and low-key. The canal race is still the pinnacle of how to organise a race and one that shows the true camaraderie of those who choose to go so far beyond the marathon. Helped out a few times at the 100 miles checkpoint.

If I get back to doing ultras in a few years time I will have to take a proper look at what's about and perhaps be a bit less cynical about the scene.