Racing for safety: a new lifeguard model promises to make triathlons safer for athletes--and guards.(Risk Management)

Aquatics International, February, 2004 by White, Jill

It happened in an instant. During the 2002 Provo Ironman, a cold front moved through just 20 minutes into the race. Winds suddenly shifted and gale-force downdrafts off the mountains produced 6-foot-high waves. Race officials canceled the swim and tried to get swimmers off the course as quickly possible. But before they could get everyone to safety, one man drowned.

That incident aside, triathlons, and Ironman races in particular, have an excellent safety record. That's partly because sanctioned races must have certified lifeguards--at least one per 50 swimmers.

Even though race directors nationwide were meeting that requirement, they weren't always integrating those lifeguards into a risk-management system.

Others in the sport realized there...