ITU suspends Wiltshire 6 months
After investigating the incident for a month, the International Triathlon Union slapped British triathlete Harry Wiltshire with a six months suspension for “unsafe and unsportsmanlike conduct” in impeding Javier Gomez during the swim at the 2011 Pontevedra ETU Triathlon European Championships on June 25.
The suspension begins June 26, 2011 and runs through the day after Christmas and prohibits Wiltshire from taking part in ITU races or events sanctioned by national federations affiliated with the ITU.
In a statement released today, the ITU Executive Board declared that they voted “to impose a six-month suspension against Wiltshire based on the evidence from the race and testimonies from the on-course technical officials. Wiltshire was already disqualified by the Chief Swim Official based on violations to the ITU Competition Rules.”
The ITU rulebook states that such a disqualification “is a penalty appropriate for severe rule violations, or dangerous or unsportsmanlike conduct.”
The ITU statement added “This decision was upheld by the Referee and there was no appeal by the athlete's federation upon notification.”
In a statement provided by the British Triathlon Federation, Harry Wiltshire commented: “I am extremely upset to have been accused of unsportsmanlike conduct and [given] a six month ban from competing in the sport that I have been a proud participant in for 14 years is a real blow.”
The British Triathlon Federation issued a statement which said that they took Wiltshire’s suspension issued by the ITU as a sign that any violation of the rules of conduct was to be taken seriously, adding that they felt the findings exonerated the BTF of any complicity in the matter.
“British Triathlon recognises that the ITU has made clear that any infringement of the ITU rules or code of conduct is a very serious matter… Whilst the ITU findings made clear that they did not believe that any other party had contributed to this alleged rule violation, British Triathlon remains committed to our core values of fair play and good sportsmanship, and we will continue to review how these values are reinforced and upheld in our sport.”
Also, by referring to the charges and findings of the ITU board as “the alleged rule violation,” the BTF fell short of endorsing the ITU findings. They also stated that Wiltshire may challenge the suspension as an individual, but the British Triathlon Federation gave no indication that they would argue on Wilshire’s behalf. “The route for any athlete appeal will now be through the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” read the statement.
In an email ro Slowtwitch, Wiltshire added: "I want to appeal, but it's a very expensive process which I am not sure I can afford."
According to two-time ITU World Champion Javier Gomez of Spain, Wiltshire deliberately blocked him several times during the swim of the European Championships and that claim was upheld by ITU investigators.
“Disappointed with what Harry Wiltshire did in the swim, hope ITU penalizes him hard,” wrote Gomez in a tweet after the race. “Everyone saw it. It’s pretty sad, poor boy."
Gomez went on to detail his experience with Wiltshire during and after the swim: "The video is a fraction of the assaults. The first thing I notice is someone grabbing my foot and pulling it back.
"The second thing that happens is Harry rushes to me and sinks me grabbing my head and shoulder.
"He pushes me to the right, towards the centre of the river.
"After a brutal and even larger waste of time we reach the ladders out of the water and instead of getting up and running to transition, he looks back and stands blocking the way. His dirty work did not end here because when we rode strongly on the bike to catch the front group he devoted himself to getting into the relay to clog it up, creating situations of real danger."
Alistair Brownlee, Wiltshire’s teammate and friend, offered a two-part reflection on the incident.
“It’s disappointing to learn of any forms of sanctions in sport, especially one involving a friend,” wrote Brownlee in an email reponse to a request for comment by Slowtwitch.
“Harry was racing at the European Champs in a Team role but targeting Javier Gomez was never part of the tactics discussed.”
As regards rough team tactics in triathlon, Brownlee was unequivocal in condemning the practice.
”Attempting to target the fastest swimmer in the field with a considerably slower athlete makes this idea fanciful and of course, deliberately trying to hamper the race of another athlete is immoral and unsportsmanlike,” wrote Brownlee. “Triathlon competition/racing is tough and everyone knows there is contact made between athletes, mainly in the swim but also at times during transition, on the bike and run. However, the specific targeting of a competitor is not in the spirit of competition and not something that belongs in sport.”
