The guidelines have been approved by the World Triathlon Executive Board ©World Triathlon

World Triathlon has approved a series of COVID-19 prevention guidelines for event organisers and is discussing the possibility of staging a "mini-season" later in the year if the global health situation has improved.

The governing body's Executive Board gave the green light to the guidelines, which include the monitoring of participants' health at events and the daily taking of body temperatures, at its latest remote meeting.

Wearing masks and gloves in non-competition activities at triathlon events is among the other recommendations made in the document.

World Triathlon said "every single aspect of the competition will be reviewed" to take social distancing into consideration, further highlighting how it will be some time before any sport can return to a degree of normality.

The guidelines, which World Triathlon said had been developed to provide help to event organisers dealing with the COVID-19 "new normality", also ask anyone involved in the competition to stay away from the event if they feel unwell or display symptoms.

World Triathlon has said it intends to resume activities as soon as it is feasible ©Getty Images
World Triathlon has said it intends to resume activities as soon as it is feasible ©Getty Images

"Obviously we will all be impacted by this crisis, and our events will look different from now on, but everyone should understand that all these measures are to protect the health and safety of everyone involved in our events, from athletes to spectators, coaches and officials," ITU President Marisol Casado said.

World Triathlon said it was in talks with event organisers and National Federations over a potential smaller series of events taking place later this year, depending on the coronavirus pandemic.

The organisation has suspended all competitions until at least June 30 and has cancelled events including the World Triathlon Series Grand Final in Canada and the World Mixed Relay Championships.

World Triathlon said it intends to resume activities "as soon as it is feasible", but no tentative date for a restart has been floated.

"During this time of the pandemic impacting the whole world, our team has been very productive," Casado added.

"Among other things they are focusing on the provision of events for athletes in the future so that they can return to competition when it is safe and fair to do so, and also significantly improving communication with all our stakeholders (National Federations, Committees, athletes, coaches, officials) to not only ascertain their current situations, but also to consider the effect decisions and actions taken by the organisation, will have on all of them."