Triathlon is a sport that combines swimming, bicycling, and running. In this sport, athletes compete in three successive events involving 2.4-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride, and a 26.2 mile marathon run. An athlete who finishes all three events first is adjudged the winner. The triathlon sport concentrates mainly on periodic and persistent training in each of the three triathlon disciplines, general conditioning of strength and combination workouts. It is believed that Triathlon as a sport originated in 1920's in France. Modern day Triathlon sport competition was first held at Mission Bay, San Diego, California in 1974. Triathlon debuted at 2000 Sydney Olympic Games where 52 men and 48 women participated in the competition. The distance used for first Triathlon Olympic competitions was 1.5 km swim, 40 km cycle, and a 10 km run. Nearly half a million spectators flocked Sydney streets to watch the first ever Olympic Triathlon competitions at 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Triathlon Rules And Regulations
Triathlon competitions at is set to draw large number of spectators as it is one among the few events that is staged free for viewers with major part of Hyde Park left open for ticketless spectators.
Triathlon
- The Olympic Triathlon distance comprises 1.5 kilometers of swimming, 40 kilometers of cycling and 10 kilometers of running. Triathlon swimming events are conducted in open water bodies such as river, sea and lake. After the swimming event, athletes proceed to the transition zone where they are provided with bicycle for 40-kilometer cycling race. There are two transition zones for three segments of triathlon race. The time spent in two transition zones called as T1 and T2 is also calculated for the overall time of the race. Generally, the time taken by male athletes is estimated to be around 16-18 minutes for 1.5-kilometer swim, 54-58 minutes for 40-kilometer cycling and 30-35 minutes for 10-kilometer run. Most of the leading triathlon athletes finish the race in less than one hour 50 minutes. At 2000 Sydney Olympics, the men’s Gold medalist finished the race in 1 hour, 48 minutes and 24 seconds. However, the women's gold medalist took 2 hours, 40 seconds to finish the race.
- The women's triathlon competition will be held on 4 August 2012 and the men's triathlon competition will be held on 7 August 2012.
- The 2012 Olympic Triathlon Competition will start with a 1.5 km swim in the Serpentine; continuing with a seven-lap- 40km bike ride en-route to Buckingham Palace and the Wellington Arch; and end with a four-lap10km run near the Serpentine to conclude the event.