Gotta wear a shirt in St. Anthony's
From an e-mail sent by the StA Race Director:
No Bare Torso Rule: (From USAT Website) Among the competitive rules targeted for special emphasis during 2006, USA Triathlon reminds athletes that torso (upper body) clothing is required during the cycling and running disciplines, and that chin straps must be fastened while wearing helmets. This clothing change will not affect female competitors. Male competitors will be required to wear a race top for the bike and run portions covering the area from the top of the sternum to the bottom of the sternum (xiphoid process).
Use of torso-covering clothing is an important rule that ensures male and females compete by the same standards. While cycling, light-colored, tight clothing is more aerodynamic than skin pores and helps minimize abrasions in the event of a crash. It also reflects ultraviolet rays from the sun, enabling better regulation of body temperature. The same is true for running, although loose fitting; light-colored clothing is more appropriate for that discipline (tight fitting clothing is an aerodynamic consideration related to cycling, but not the slower speeds of running).
Haha. This rule doesn't affect female competitors. I bet there would've been a lot more spectators in the past had this rule affected them for the first time this year.
I wonder if BFAST and HOT will enforce this rule this year? I wore a Tri-tank in last year's StA because I thought they always enforced the rule. Other than that, I can think of only one other triathlon where I wore a top.