We’ll have more as the race-day progresses, but it looks like the challenges at Ironman Canada continue today. The final running of Ironman Canada in Penticton won’t feature a swim – the first leg of the race has been cancelled and athletes will head off in a time trial start.
The race announcement on Facebook didn’t specify the water temperature, but some social media posts have said the water is 13 degrees C. Based on the cancellation, it would appear that there must be points where the water temperature is lower than that.
According to World Triathlon rules, a full-distance (3.8 km) swim should be shortened to 1,500 m if the water temperature is between 13 and 13.9 degrees, 750 m if it is between 12 and 12.9 degrees and cancelled if the water temperature is 11.9 degrees or lower. That would suggest that some of the water measurements in Okanagan Lake must have been below that threshold.
We’ll continue to monitor the race and provide updates.
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