This study explored the level of awareness of safety accidents and asociated risk factors among male triathlon club athletes, who represented the largest proportion of participants in triathlon events. Photovoice, a method within Participatory Action ...
This study explored the level of awareness of safety accidents and asociated risk factors among male triathlon club athletes, who represented the largest proportion of participants in triathlon events. Photovoice, a method within Participatory Action Research (PAR), was employed to explore participants’ experiences from a micro perspective. The ultimate goal of the study was to propose strategies for enhancing the systematic operation of triathlon swimming events and ensuring participant safety. The findings were inductively derived into three main themes. The first theme, structural limitations of the swimming event, included sub-themes related to mandatory wetsuit use and the distinctive characteristics of water rescue resulting from the physical distance between participants and on-site rescue personnel. The second theme, the desire to finish and accident risk, comprised sub-themes related to uncontrollable environmental conditions and distorted compliance driven by economic burdens. The third theme, between desire and a sense of achievement, encompassed sub-themes related to internalized competitiveness and pressure arising from external factors. This study contributes to the literature by moving beyond a descriptive analysis of safety accidents. In order to do so, this study adopted a Social Ecological Model to explain the overall structure of triathlon swimming events as well as to suggest alternative strategies. Although the qualitative nature of this study limits the generalizability of the findings, the interpretations and implications offer meaningful insights applicable to other sports with similar socioecological characteristics, thereby contributing to the potential for intrinsic generalization.
Keywords : Triathlon, Swimming event, Club athletes, Open water, PhotoVoice