Subject: RE: Lone Star weather obsession threadnyemr - 2010-04-24 2:54 PM Although I had nervous anticipation about the swim (it was my first Oly), I was extremely disappointed we didn't get to do it. They canceled the swim because the bouys would not stay in place to mark the course. I think they made the right call under those conditions, but if the bouys had heavier anchors, I think the course could have stayed and we could have swam. It's not like they weren't anticipating heavy winds, and couldn't have planned for that. I talked to someone who saw them putting out the bouys, and he didn't think the weights looked that big for the conditions. That aside though, they did a great job adapting, and the bike/run was great. Overall, it was still a well organized, and great race. It wasn't the bouys. According to the Endorfun organizer I know and spoke with this afternoon, they canceled the swim because the head lifeguard for the city of Galveston made the call that conditions were unsafe. Winds were 23mph with sustained plus gusts well above that. Choppy, whitecap conditions like those typically result in more cases of distress, while at the same time making it harder for the safety crew to spot swimmers in distress and/or reach them quickly. Frustrating for the athletes, I know. But you're right -- it was the correct call for the conditions. (Three hours later, though, it was beatiful out there. Crazy.) |