World Triathlon Unveils Exciting Swim Rule Change: New Water Quality Standards to Enhance Competitive Experience!

World Triathlon has made some significant updates to its Competition Rules, especially regarding water quality in competitions. These changes will start on January 30, 2025, following a detailed review by the Technical Committee.

One of the most talked-about changes relates to the water quality standards. This topic gained media attention during last summer’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games when training swims had to be canceled due to poor water quality in the River Seine. Despite a major cleanup effort costing $1.5 billion, the water still wasn’t safe for swimmers.

Now, World Triathlon has relaxed the acceptable levels for two key bacteria: Enterococci and E. coli. The threshold for Enterococci in sea and transition waters will increase from 100 to 200 cells per milliliter. For E. coli, the limit is now 500 cells per milliliter, up from 250. Inland water limits have been adjusted as well, increasing to 400 cells per milliliter for Enterococci and 1,000 for E. coli.

When it comes to deciding if a swim should be canceled due to water quality issues, the decision will not rest on just one person. A team, including a Medical Committee representative, the Medical Delegate, and the Local Organizing Committee’s Medical Director, will work together to assess the situation.

Along with water quality changes, World Triathlon has also updated several other rules. For example, drafting penalties have been revised in various race categories:

• Long Distance: reduced to 3 minutes
• Middle Distance: reduced to 2 minutes
• Standard Distance: reduced to 1 minute
• Sprint Distance: reduced to 30 seconds

In the Mixed Relay format, the order of competitors will revert to the sequence from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics: woman-man-woman-man. Additionally, there are new regulations to improve swim behavior. Athletes are prohibited from pushing off inanimate objects, must keep their fingernails and toenails short, and are not allowed to wear jewelry.

Wearing watches is generally not permitted, but elite races may allow them if approved by the Head Referee.