USA Triathlon intends to host a "Global Rules Summit" at or proximate to the ITU Congress America's. The United States' national federation is hosting triathlon's world Congress this January in its hometown of Colorado Springs. At this summit USAT will seek to execute its goal of hammering out one set of rules for no-draft events -- rules that can work for all federations under the ITU worldwide umbrella.

At this summit USAT faces an uphill battle. It has its own set of rules America has sweated over during two decades of racing and more. Meanwhile, most of the rest of the world's countries have hammered out their own rules, and there appears to be something akin to a consensus on a lot of these rules. The problem for USAT is, the consensus doesn't include what we do here in this country.

Furthermore, GTG's ruleset bears a reasonably close resemblance to the sort of racing they do in Europe and elsewhere.

The stage is set, then, for what appears to be a rapproachment between Ironman's owner, World Triathlon Corporation, and USA Triathlon. This attempt to come together is what was promised by USA Triathlon's executive director, Skip Gilbert on June 13th of this year:

"If they want to come back to the table and work with us, we would love to help them establish a global rulebook that would make everyone happy."

Gilbert's reiterates this on October 12th:

"This sport is not big enough for a division between two influential organizations. We hope to meet with WTC during the off-season, settle our differences and bring the triathlon family together again."

How and when might this off-season meeting happen? I can think of no better time than during USAT's Global Rules Summit, especially because the issue of global rules is one in which both organizations show keen interest.

There is just this one fly in the soup. The ITU and USAT have each instituted a ban on sanctioning WTC's events, and WTC has reciprocated by slapping both organizations with a pair of potentially crippling lawsuits.

Under any sort of usual circumstances, entities that have had these sorts of shots fired at them (not across the bow, but square amidships) would abstain from any contact with the other. That is exactly what ought not to happen. Both organizations ought to do precisely what was promised above: They ought to meet off-season and work out their differences.

Consider this: A set of federation global rules is sure to look curiously like GTG's rulebook. USAT balked at granting the WTC certain rule waivers and exceptions, and this is what started the whole GTG ball rolling. But, USAT is likely to conform -- eventually, if not for 2006 -- to rules that the WTC sought earlier this year.

The Global Rules Summit should not, in my opinion, be an official part of the Congress. It should take part in the two days just prior to the Congress. As such, the ITU and its major federations can attend, and the presence of a WTC representative will be less offensive to either the ITU or the WTC. While the Summit might not be a part of Congress, a spot on the ITU's Congress agenda can and should be carved out in such case a set of global rules can be agreed upon at the Summit.

Part of the process would include mutual releases, the dropping of bans and lawsuits, and an updating of the earlier Agreement between the ITU and WTC. Should the Summit be announced quickly, and ad hoc committees formed to commence pre-Summit work on several categories of rules, most of the hard work will be done. White papers would be ready to present, before the Summit even convenes.

In other words, an elegant solution is possible. If USAT balks at this, one wonders how serious it ever was about patching things up with WTC, statements above notwithstanding. If WTC balks at this, one must conclude it is determined to go its own way and forego any and all federation ties, irrespective of any capitulations and compromises these federations offer.

Maybe WTC's best play is to abandon forever the federation system. But if it does, it leaves itself open to the claim that the GTG always was about the almighty buck. Of course, this is moot. WTC hasn't been extended an invitation yet, and the ball is in USAT's court.