Clipped finger nails, reduced drafting penalties & fresh participation requirements. What the new World Triathlon rules mean for you

World Triathlon approves updates on the Competition Rules
World Triathlon Media Advisory

Madrid, Spain (January 29, 2025) – In a significant development for the sport, the Executive Board of World Triathlon has approved a series of updates to the Competition Rules that will be enforced from January 30, 2025. This comprehensive review, led by the Technical Committee and the World Triathlon Sports Department, incorporated feedback from athletes, local organizing committees (LOCs), national federations, continental confederations, various committees, and reports from Technical Delegates (TDs).

Among the key updates included in the new rules:

Mixed Relay order change
One of the most notable changes is the revised order of athletes in all Mixed Relay races for the Olympic cycle until the 2028 LA Olympic and Paralympic Games. From 2025 onwards, the sequence will be woman – man – woman – man, as it was for the Tokyo 2020 cycle. 

Note that this new order is also applicable to Age-Group category.

Sprint events to be awarded equal points
The previous 25% reduction for sprint events and the 12.5% reduction for semifinal/final and eliminator events have been removed to uphold competitive equity across all race formats. From now on, all the races, regardless of distance, will award the same number of ranking points. 

Athlete Briefing change of day

From now on, the Athlete’s Briefing for all categories and all races will be conducted on the day before the race at 16h. 

Modified Drafting Penalties 
The penalties for drafting violations have been revised and reduced across various race distances, reflecting a more balanced approach to competition integrity. The new penalty durations are as follows:

– Long Distance: Reduced to 3 minutes

– Middle Distance: Reduced to 2 minutes

– Standard Distance: Reduced to 1 minute

– Sprint Distance: Reduced to 30 seconds

The drafting zone has been unified for all events to 12 meters and 25 seconds to pass another athlete. 

Reduced time penalties
Time penalties for all other infringements remain as they were, but a new category has been included: Super Sprint race time penalties will be 5 seconds. 

Apparel Regulations
Elite athletes will now be allowed to wear uniforms with sleeves that extend down to the elbow. This is applicable at all distances and all events. 

Swim Water Quality Standards 
By still ensuring the athletes’ safety, the acceptable levels of Enterococci and E. coli in swim courses have been relaxed from “excellent” to “good.” Importantly, the decision to cancel the swim due to water quality will now involve a collaborative assessment by a group that includes a Medical Committee representative, the Medical Delegate, and the LOC Medical Director, rather than a single individual.

Swim behaviour
Athletes are not allowed to push an inanimate object to propel themselves forward. 

To avoid injuries, finger and toenails will need to be short in order for the athlete to be authorized to start. Jewelry is forbidden, as are watches, in principle, but the Head Referee may authorize the wearing of watches. This will be for Elite races only.

Age- Group Mixed Relay change of ages
Age ranges for Age- Group Mixed Relay events will now be determined by the total combined age of all team members, not the individual ages of each team member. 

Eg. 60-79, 80-119, 120-159, etc every 40 years 

Event Participation Criteria 
The minimum age to compete in higher-level competitions has been raised, emphasizing that the category of competition will now be considered in addition to the distance as a limiting factor.

These updates mark a proactive step by World Triathlon to enhance the competitive landscape, prioritize athlete welfare, and modernize regulations in line with feedback from stakeholders. The community can look forward to seeing how these changes impact the sport in the upcoming Olympic cycle and beyond, fostering a more exciting and fair competition environment.

READ THE UPDATED COMPETITION RULES HERE