And now - TRIATHLETES throw down some smack!

I read about this the other day - but honestly, couldn't reconcile what I was reading with the thought that a triathlete (a "triathlete"!!!???) could throw down some smack on a fellow pro, esp in the water while swimming [can you say friggin' dangerous!]...but, watch the video below and judge for yourself. Geez Louise.

and then, I watched a couple of French teammates go it in a track meet in Monaco on the weekend [***see yesterday's Blog post].

WTF??!!  Will we soon be watching TMZ's "Athlete's Gone Bad"?

Great Britain’s Wiltshire suspended for six months

The International Triathlon Union (ITU), the worldwide governing body for triathlon, announced it has imposed a six-month suspension on British triathlete Harry Wiltshire due to unsportsmanlike conduct at the 2011 Pontevedra ETU Triathlon European Championships on June 25, 2011.

The suspension begins June 26, 2011 and prohibits Wiltshire from taking part in ITU competitions or competitions sanctioned by National Federations affiliated to ITU.

Following the elite men’s race at the European Championships, Wiltshire’s alleged unsafe and unsportsmanlike conduct during the race was investigated.  The ITU Executive Board 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 had already been disqualified by the Chief Swim Official based on violations to the ITU Competition Rules (2.1 a.) (i), 3.3 a.) (i), Appendix L 6, and Appendix L 7). This decision was upheld by the Referee and there was no appeal by the athlete’s federation upon notification.

The ITU is strongly committed to maintaining the integrity of the sport by ensuring athletes are competing within the competition rules and with a high degree of sportsmanship.

* The actions of Wiltshire involve his illegal and dangerous blocking and interference tactics on Spain’s Javier Gomez during the swim at the European Championships.