Matt Sharpe DQ’d at Ironman 70.3 Maine for undone zipper
Canadian Olympian loses podium finish after failing to do up his trisuit as he crossed the finish line
Photo by:
Kevin Mackinnon
Canadian Matt Sharpe (pictured above as he prepared for Clash Miami earlier this year) is reeling after losing a third-place finish at Ironman 70.3 Maine yesterday. The Canadian crossed the finish line with his trisuit unzipped, which led to a disqualification. The rule is clearly stated in the Athlete Guide for the event in both the bike and run sections:
Cycling with a bare torso is prohibited. Athletes must wear a shirt, jersey, or sport top/sports bra at all times during the cycling segment of the Race. Uniforms with a front zipper may be unzipped to any length, provided, the zipper is connected at the bottom of the uniform at all times and the top of the uniform covers the shoulders.
RUNNING WITH A BARE TORSO IS PROHIBITED. ATHLETES MUST WEAR A SHIRT, JERSEY, OR SPORT TOP/SPORTS BRA AT ALL TIMES DURING THE RUN SEGMENT OF THE RACE. UNIFORMS WITH A FRONT ZIPPER MAY BE UNZIPPED TO ANY LENGTH, PROVIDED, THE ZIPPER IS CONNECTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE UNIFORM AT ALL TIMES AND THE TOP OF THE UNIFORM COVERS THE SHOULDERS. THE UNIFORM SHOULD BE FULLY ZIPPED WHEN CROSSING THE FINISH LINE.
Sharpe acknowledges that he was clearly in violation of the rule. He says that he was unaware of the rule, which he admits “was on him.”
“At the end of the day, the punishment doesn’t seem to fit the crime,” he wrote in a text earlier today. “The same punishment for that vs. taking outside assistance and repeated drafting seems harsh.”
Zipper rule
The rule Sharpe was DQ’d for is a modification of World Triathlon’s Competition Rule 15.7(b):
Zipper can be undone to the point of the end of the breastbone (sternum) during the competition, with the exception of the last 200 metres of the run, when it needs to be zipped up.
According to Ironman, “The rule applied in IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events only requires that the front zipper be connected at the bottom of the uniform during the race, and should be fully zipped when crossing the finish line.”
Sharpe’s Giordana trisuit utilizes a design that’s become very popular with long-distance triathletes – the zipper comes detaches completely at the bottom, making the suit feel similar to wearing separate shorts and a top, while maintaining the benefits of a one-piece design.
In the end, Ironman applied for an exception to the rule in order to provide athletes with as much leeway as possible during long-distance events, while adhering to the spirit of World Triathlon’s rules. Ironman applied for the rule change before suits like the one Sharpe was wearing became popular. Had Sharpe’s zipper been attached, he wouldn’t have been DQ’d.
“Athletes witnessed during the race, by a race referee, to be in non-compliance may be given the chance to remedy the situation and/or may be disqualified for non-compliance (exceptions may be granted for uniform malfunctions such as a broken zipper),” Ironman wrote in response to our question about Sharpe’s DQ. “As with many triathlon rules, referees are unable to witness and to catch each and every infraction. Although when possible and practical, referees will attempt to proactively prevent a rule violation or provide an opportunity for an athlete to remedy a rule violation. But obviously, this is not always possible.”
Olympic triathlon men’s preview: can Mislawchuk and Sharpe work their magic again?
Losing out on a podium
After representing Canada at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Sharpe made the move to long-distance racing. Last year he won Ironman 70.3 Boulder, and he also took third at Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz last year. He expressed his disappointment about the DQ on Instagram after the race:
While it would appear that Sharpe has no recourse, this experience could provide some impetus for an appeal to World Triathlon to modify the zipper rule more.
“Rule changes happen by lobbying World Triathlon, as IRONMAN did when creating an exception to World Triathlon Rule 15.7(b) to allow the front zipper to be unzipped below the point allowed by World Triathlon,” Ironman wrote. “IRONMAN regularly requests rule changes/exceptions from World Triathlon.”
No win situation
One would imagine that the last thing the race officials in Maine were looking to do was disqualify an athlete for this rule, especially knowing that it would affect Sharpe’s podium finish. If they follow through on the DQ, they’re open to criticism from those who think the rule is unfair or unduly harsh. If they don’t act, though, the officials are open to criticism for selectively enforcing the rules.
