National governing body USA Triathlon (USAT) has announced its Safe Return to Multisport initiative. This is positioned as a ‘comprehensive and multi-pronged approach that will outline racing and training guidelines and recommendations for the multisport community to manage the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.’
The first two documents in the series, ‘USA Triathlon Safe Return to Multisport Guidelines’ and ‘Return to Racing Recommendations for Race Directors’, are available now for download via the USAT website.
The following resources will also be made available soon… ‘Return to Racing for Athletes’, ‘Return to Racing Training Program’ and ‘Return to Racing Guidelines for Officiating’.
These documents are intended to be used in conjunction with guidelines issued by federal, state and local authorities in the USA – including adherence to mass gathering thresholds, physical distancing and sanitation protocols.
‘The USAT initiative has been developed in coordination with experienced race directors, medical experts, certified coaches, club directors, officials, athletes and endurance sport leaders while relying on fact-based recommendations from other expert resources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, Occupational Safety and Health Administration and utilizing sport-specific guidelines developed by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the International Triathlon Union.’
The ‘USA Triathlon Safe Return to Multisport Guidelines’ document uses the US government’s three-phased approach to reopening America as a framework to give the entire multisport community guidance on racing and training. The document is designed to comply with federal guidelines for individuals and employers. It is, however, flexible to allow race directors to adapt their application to guidance from state and local authorities as well as local circumstances, such as population density regulations and severity of COVID-19 outbreaks.
The ‘Return to Racing Recommendations for Race Directors’ document was developed in coordination with the USAT Race Director Committee with input from the National Coaching Committee, Age Group Committee, Duathlon Committee, Global Safety Task Force and industry leaders. The recommendations provide best practices and enhanced safety standards for race directors, including how to maintain appropriate physical distancing, screening and sanitation measures throughout an event. Using these resources, USAT notes that race directors will be able to provide assurances to both their participants and local authorities that their races are being held safely and responsibly based on current public health guidelines in their area.
“As the governing body for triathlon and multisport in this country, it is essential that USA Triathlon takes a leadership role in developing and disseminating information to guide a consistent and unified approach toward reopening our sport to the public,” said Rocky Harris, USA Triathlon CEO.
“We have worked with some of the top experts in the world to develop these guidelines to offer clarity for event directors, athletes and the community at large, and to provide the tools for all constituents to be able to prioritize safety above all else in training and racing.”
Dr Andrew Getzin, USA Triathlon Volunteer Medical Chair, said “USA Triathlon has worked diligently to create a plan for safe return to multisport training and racing that is line with national medical guidelines.
“The value of physical activity for overall wellness cannot be overstated, nor can the passion of our members to the multisport lifestyle. We want to encourage individual and community wellness by progressing individual training and racing activities incrementally. While USA Triathlon’s plan is a strong starting point to progress in a way that keeps participants, volunteers, and communities safe from undue risk of infection, we ask that everybody stays nimble and flexible as more data around COVID-19 potentially emerges.”
“These guidelines represent a valuable resource for multisport race directors facing the new challenges of producing events in a world where the coronavirus still exists,” said Mark Walter, owner of Sun Multisport Events and Co-Chair of the USA Triathlon Race Director Committee. “Every race director should carefully review these guidelines and integrate them into their event planning process.”
Eva Solomon, Founder and CEO of Epic Races and Co-Chair of the USA Triathlon Race Director Committee, added “With the dramatic changes to our racing world over the past several weeks and with the unknown future, I appreciate the work that USA Triathlon has put into creating guidelines to help ease some of the difficult decisions we will be facing when we return to racing.”
Additional athlete-focused materials will be released in the coming weeks, including ‘Return to Racing for Athletes’ and a ‘Return to Racing Training Program’. The ‘Return to Racing for Athletes’ document will… ‘walk multisport participants through the changes they should expect when races return to the calendar, what these changes will look like in practice, and why such measures are necessary and effective.’
The ‘Return to Racing Training Program’, led by USA Triathlon-certified coach and 2004 US Olympian Barb Lindquist, with contributions from 12 additional USA Triathlon-certified coaches, will provide best practices for athletes to personally resume triathlon-specific training and racing safely. Guidelines will emphasize the importance of reducing exposure and transmission of COVID-19 during training, while providing a structured workout plan to prepare physically for the demands of a multisport event after extended lack of access to swimming pools and other training facilities.
USAT adds that all resources are being created in conjunction with experienced race directors, medical experts and endurance sport leaders, and with reliance on resources, guidelines and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the International Triathlon Union.
USA Triathlon plans to collaborate with additional endurance sports industry organizations to communicate these guidelines broadly to all relevant audiences. The national governing body adds that the situation surrounding COVID-19 is continuously evolving, and the information included in this initiative will be regularly updated as circumstances change.
www.usatriathlon.org/safe-return
