The heat and humidity added to some magnificent blow-ups by the time we got to the marathon in the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona last Saturday.
And in the sea swim, which began at 0625 regional time and with the professional athletes currently in the water instead of diving in, it was noteworthy that a substantial variety of the male specialists lost their swim caps eventually– was that a limited gain or simply a mishap?
That's the concern that none besides Lance Armstrong asks in his most current podcast.
Armstrong and ‘huge sibling' Riccitello reunited
The American won the Tour de France, biking's greatest race, a record 7 successive times in between 1999 and 2005 however was removed of his titles after an examination into doping claims.
He began his extraordinary sporting journey as a triathlete– where he won nationwide titles at sprint range– and then after his biking profession he once again made his mark in swim/ bike/ run, consisting of a course-record screen when winning the IRONMAN 70.3 Hawaii in 2012.
And in his words, his “partner, huge bro, protector and training friend” in those triathlon days was none aside from Jimmy Riccitello.
Riccitello naturally is now the head IRONMAN referee and likewise the daddy of up-and-coming professional bicyclist Matthew so it was interesting to hear him overtake Armstrong and three-time Kona winner Craig Alexander on Armstrong's newest podcast.
The focus was on the current IRONMAN World Championship and it's ingrained listed below– however the early conversation was all around those ‘lost' swim caps.
‘What a terrific concept' states Lance
Armstrong teased it in by stating: “I check out the reports which stated early in the race somebody lost their swim cap. Now this seems like absolutely nothing however then increasingly more short articles had the word “lost” in quotes.
“Would you swim two-and-a-half miles as hard as you can with a piece of rubber on your head, which is among the primary locations where you aerate and control temperature level?
“In a mass start swim it's physical, arms are flailing, individuals are defending position … and your safety glasses get knocked off. I've never ever seen a swim cap come off however I think it can occur.
The swim start at Kona 2024 [Photo credit: Tony Svensson | IRONMAN]
“But suddenly we're beginning to lose swim caps. I'm not criticising this, I'm more p *** ed at myself that I didn't think about this. I imply what a fantastic concept– state you got struck. I believed it was dazzling, I liked it!”
IRONMAN head ref on swim cap guidelines
Over to Riccitello then and what was the take of the IRONMAN head referee?
The guidelines in the professional athlete guide just state: “IRONMAN ® offers a brilliantly colored swim cap for each professional athlete. This cap should be used throughout the swim.” There is no information on any repercussions if the cap must come off.
