Although it comprises three long-established disciplines, triathlon is still a young sport, having only been invented the 1970s by the San Diego Track Club as alternative workout to traditional track training. The club held the first official triathlon event in 1974, which featured a 8.5km run, an 8km cycle and a swim just short of 550m. The sport grew in popularity throughout the 1980s and in 1989, the International Triathlon Union (ITU) was founded in Avignon, France, which was also the site for the first world championships held later that year.
Brief overview of the rules
The triathlon race format at the Olympics for both the women’s and men’s events consist of a 1500m swim, a 40km cycle and a 10km run. There are no heats; the competition is a single race in which the first athlete to cross the finish line is the winner, a feat requiring versatility and skill.
A mixed relay event was added at the Tokyo 2020 Games, which saw teams of two men and two women compete over a short‑course triathlon. All three events will return at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Olympic history
The World Triathlon Cup series began in 1991, with 11 races contested in eight different countries. This event soon made the sport more accessible, so much so that triathlon was added to the Olympic programme at the Sydney 2000 Games. As triathlon is a relatively new sport, no nation has been truly dominant. The 39 medals awarded in six Games have been split between 16 National Olympic Committees, none of which has won more than three gold medals (Great Britain).
