Four charts that make the case for banning drafting in triathlon

Last week we took a look at how good an indicator each of the three triathlon disciplines is of overall ability in the event, using data from the International Triathlon Union's World Series. As you can see in the uppermost pair of scatter plots, there were some strange patterns in the data.

Several readers rightly pointed out this was because we had chosen an event where drafting - whereby during the cycling stage competitors fall into tight groups in order to benefit from others' slipstreams - is permitted, in order to add to the spectacle.

As a result, each such cluster arrives at the second transition within a very small timeline, effectively resetting the clock for its members as they take off on the running leg. This meant our conclusion that running is "key for triathletes to win medals" was misleading.

So this week we compare the same data with results from the 2014 USA Triathlon National Championships, where drafting is strictly prohibited.

And the pattern is clear: without the splintering of the field during the cycling phase, athletes enter the running leg in a steady stream, making for a more balanced overall race.

Whereas when drafting is permitted, gaps develop and widen so quickly that most athletes who miss out on the main group in the cycling will never get back during the third stage, however well they run.

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