What happens if a race has to be stopped?
A · Advanced · The competition · 2 of 4The chief referee, with the safety officer, can stop a race when conditions endanger swimmers or officials. A race of 10 km or less that is abandoned is started again from the beginning at the earliest possible moment. If some swimmers had already finished, the chief referee reports the final ranking with regard to them.
How it works
- The power: "In case of hazardous conditions that jeopardize the safety of the competitors and the officials, in conjunction with the Safety Officer she/he can stop the race."
- 10 km or less: "the race will be restarted from the beginning at the earliest possible moment".
- Some already home: where competitors had completed the race before the abandonment, "the final ranking will be as reported by the Chief Referee having regard to those competitor(s) who have already finished".
- Longer than 10 km: the final ranking is as reported by the chief referee. If two hours of the race have not been completed, it is restarted from the beginning at the earliest possible moment.
- Before the start: the safety officer and the medical officer advise the chief referee if they think conditions are unsuitable, and may recommend changing the course or the way the race is run.
- Temperature: the safety officer monitors it during the race.
Tricky cases
A 10 km race is stopped at 8 km because of lightning. Do the positions at that point stand?
No. A race of 10 km or less is restarted from the beginning.
A 25 km race is stopped after three hours. Is it swum again?
No. More than two hours had been completed, so the final ranking is as reported by the chief referee.
Who decides that conditions are too dangerous?
The chief referee, together with the safety officer.
Why the rule exists
Open water can turn dangerous in minutes: a storm, a current, a sudden drop in temperature. One official has the authority to end the race at once. The restart rule then tries to be fair. A short race is swum again. A very long one that was mostly done is not thrown away.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Aquatics rules | As above | OWS 3.1.3.1; OWS 5.15 |
| Before the race | The course or format may be changed on the advice of the safety and medical officers | OWS 3.12.5; OWS 3.13.3 |
| Water quality | Tested in the weeks and days before the race against set bacterial limits | OWS 10 |
From the rule book
World Aquatics, Competition Regulations, Part Three: Open Water Swimming Rules (in force as from 1 January 2025), Articles 3.1.3, 3.12, 3.13 and 5.15. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Aquatics Competition Regulations (PDF).