3:54 bike split 
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There’s some very rapid swims today, Varga did 45 which included some backstroke apparently!
But she’s clearly a good swimmer
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Looks like Kat and Ruth have pressed on at the start of the run.
Wonder if McNamee can run an 8min deficit in 30km. Maybe not, but he’s got Weiss with him. Who’s a decent athlete as well. Don’t know what Kalinn’s running is like.
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McNamee closing fast. 3 mins down now at half way
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Solid effort from Ruth Astle as she has done very little running this year due to injuries.
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What happened with Laidlow? Still DQ’d?
Looks like he stayed DQ’d
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That’s a risky move surely. A full IM in the legs for nothing.
Where did he finish out of interest?
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The winner passed him at 38 k so I’m assuming second ?
Very strange not to accept a DQ, he obviously appealed but I don’t think he got Anywere
I think his argument was that he could take the bike penalty at any bike penalty tent, not the next one after being given the penalty (which is the standard process), so he shouldn’t have been DQ’d. Essentially, he fucked up so the DQ stood.
ETA: not read anywhere that he even took the penalty in any tent so that is a straight DQ anyway.
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I’ve got to admit I thought it was any penalty tent before the run, but I’m not a pro and it’s his job so should know the rules, probably didn’t take it straight away so he could stay in the group which seems a bit daft when he only needed to finish to validate his spot.
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Actually, it would have been a bit embarrassing if he’d gone over the line first 
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I should also caveat my response by saying that the standard process of serving a drafting penalty in the next penalty tent is a WT competition rule - IM may be different but I suspect not.
This is part of the WT rule:
“Sounding a whistle, showing a blue card, calling in English the athlete’s number and saying “Drafting penalty, you have to stop at the next penalty box”. The Technical Official has to ensure the athlete received the penalty notification.”
Just checked the IM rules and this is theirs
"Bike-course time penalties will be served in a designated Penalty Tent (“PT”). The location of the PTs will be stated in the Event-specific Athlete Information Guide. It is the athlete’s responsibility to report to the next PT on the course. Failure to stop at the next PT on the bike course will result in disqualification; "
Pretty clear really for both sets of rules.
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Yeah, pretty clear so no sympathy for him.
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Wow, this smacks of double standards!
Sam Laidlow Validates for the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship, Kona🌺
At Sunday’s IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz triathlon, Sam Laidlow was disqualified for failing to serve a drafting penalty but, in line with the IRONMAN Competition Rules, chose to continue the race and exercise his right to protest after his finish. Sam raced competitively until the end and was the second professional male to cross the finish line. Sam proceeded to follow the protest process on site, but the competition jury upheld the disqualification, meaning Sam was not eligible for IRONMAN Pro Series points or prize money.
Sam Laidlow’s completion of the IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz triathlon meets IRONMAN’s written 2024 policy on the IRONMAN World Championship validation, which stipulates that an athlete must race competitively and finish an IRONMAN triathlon (or two IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon races) within the qualifying period.
Sam followed the onsite protest process, acted professionally throughout, and most importantly, showed respect to the process and his fellow competitors, all of which is in the spirit of the sport and reflective of Sam’s professionalism. Sam’s completion of the event matches the fulfilment of other validation eligible athletes and the spirit of the policy extended accordingly.
We look forward to welcoming him back to Kona for the 2024 edition of the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship.
#IRONMANtri #IMWC #Kona2024
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So does that mean he got a medal and t-shirt 
Not a good look as he didnt “complete” an Ironman as he was DQ’d
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Yep, if it was an age grouper finishing second you could bet your bottom dollar they wouldn’t be going to Kona.
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DQ races don’t count towards legacy races for Kona.
Suspect he called their bluff ‘won’t be defending my title if this doesn’t validate’.
I wonder what LCB got off them to add the IM WC’s to the original ‘T100 all in’ season plan.
Looks like the pros are leveraging off the alternatives they now have.
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one rule for them, one rule for the rest…
FFS
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