Half the field had to get turned around and sent back to the starting platform after the starter blew the horn while a boat was in the way.
There is a tremendous amount of planning required in putting on an Olympic event, as officials at the highest levels of each sport try to ensure that everything goes off without a hitch, as it is often the biggest stage some of the smaller sports will get to put their athletes on display. Everything is meticulously planned, but sometimes you just can’t account for someone with a jumpy trigger finger as we learned at the start of the men’s triathlon competition. As the athletes all gathered at the starting platform for the swimming leg of the event, one of the boats that helps guide the athletes along and also houses camera crews was steadily trolling along in front of the platform, getting some long panning shots before the official start.
