Triathlon

Triathlon is a relatively new sport that consists of running, swimming, and cycling. Its origins date to the 1970s when the first major triathlon, the Ironman Race, was held in Hawai’i. Triathlon is governed by World Triathlon, which changed its name from the International Triathlon Union in October 2020. It was created in 1989 in Avignon and recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 3 September 1994 at the IOC Session in Paris. As of 2020 World Triathlon has 140 member nations.

Triathlon first appeared on the Olympic Program at the 2000 Olympic Games, with two events – one for men and one for women. The Olympic triathletes race over what was already known as the Olympic Distance – 1,500 m swim, 40 km cycling, and 10 km running. In 2020 a mixed relay was added with the super-sprint distances of 300 m swim, 6.8 km cycling and 2 km running. This format produced a tough exciting race for spectators.

The Brownlee brothers were the most successful triathletes in Olympic history, with Alistair winning two gold medals, while his brother Jonathan completed a full set of medals with gold in the 2020 mixed relay.