OmniathlonOWS
The Rules

Stage swims

The Rules

4.2.1 Definition

A stage swim is a crossing divided into segments, during which the swimmer exits the water, either onto land or onto the support boat, to rest, eat, or sleep.

The stage format is independent of the equipment used: a stage swim shall be registered, in accordance with Art. 3, in the Skin, Wetsuit, or Assisted category. A crossing performed without interruption with a performance aid is Assisted and Solo; a crossing performed in a swimsuit with stops on board is a Skin stage swim.

Boarding the boat or exiting the water outside of the route's landing points shall interrupt the crossing; a crossing resumed after such an interruption is a stage swim.

4.2.2 Resumption

The swimmer shall resume each segment from the exact point where the previous one ended, or from a point prior to it. During a stop, the boat may be carried by the current or wind: the distance covered in this manner has not been swum, and a segment resumed from a subsequent point shall not be recognized.

A segment that ended on land shall be resumed from the same land. A segment that ended in the water shall be resumed from the same coordinates, within a margin of a few meters.

The observer shall record the time and coordinates of the point where each segment ends and the point where the next one resumes.

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On the left, the second segment resumes from the point where the first ended, compliant; on the right, it resumes further ahead, after the boat has been carried by the current, non-compliant

4.2.3 Duration of stops

The duration of stops is not limited. Each stop shall be recorded, and its duration shall be reported for the crossing.

4.2.4 Times and ranking

A stage swim is described by:

  • the number of segments;
  • the time in the water, equal to the sum of the times of the segments;
  • the total time, from the first start to the final finish, including stops.

The ranking shall be ordered by the number of segments, in ascending order, and in the event of a tie in the number of segments, by time in the water. The total time shall always be indicated.

4.2.5 Stage relays

A relay may be performed in stages. In such a case, the entire team shall stop and resume from the point where it stopped, in accordance with Art. 4.2.2. A change of swimmers does not constitute a stop.