A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the disciplines included. The word is of Greek origin, from τρεῖς or treis (three) and ἆθλος or athlos (competition).
World Triathlon, previously known as the International Triathlon Union (ITU), is the international governing body for the multi-sport disciplines of triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and other nonstandard variations. World Triathlon hosts the top level international race series the World Triathlon Championship Series and the ITU Triathlon World Cup. World Triathlon also has a long-distance race circuit with official world championships. Additionally, World Triathlon sanctions and organizes official Aquathlon (run-swim-run), Duathlon (run-bike-run) and Winter triathlon championships. World Triathlon is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland
Due to the nature of triathlons as a race consisting of multiple sports many pieces of technical equipment have been borrowed from other sports, or developed specifically in an effort to race faster and improve a competitors safety.
Triathlon had its Summer Olympics debut at the 2000 Games, in Sydney, when men's and women's individual events were first held, and has been contested since then. In 2021, at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics a mixed team relay event was held for the first time. The sport, and its Olympic events, are governed by the International Triathlon Union, known since 2019 as World Triathlon.
Rudy Garcia-Tolson is a Paralympic swimmer, runner and triathlete from the USA.
The triathlon events at the 2012 Summer Olympics were held in Hyde Park in London, United Kingdom, with the women's triathlon held on 4 August and the men's on 7 August. 110 triathletes from 39 countries competed with 55 men and 55 women competing. The races were held over the "international distance" and consisted of 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) swimming, 43 kilometres (27 mi) road cycling, and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) road running.
Switzerland competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. Swiss athletes have competed at every Summer Olympic Games in the modern era, except when they boycotted the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne in protest of the Soviet invasion of Hungary. The Swiss Olympic Association sent a total of 103 athletes to the 2012 Games, 72 men and 31 women, to compete in 18 sports.
Lesley Paterson is a Scottish triathlete and triathlon coach who is the 2011, 2012 and 2018 XTERRA Triathlon World Champion as well as the 2012 and 2018 ITU Cross Triathlon World Champion.
Dame Flora Jane Duffy is a Bermudian triathlete. She won a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Bermuda's first gold medal. She also competed in the Olympics in Beijing, London, and Rio de Janeiro. In 2018, she won gold in the women's triathlon at the XXI Commonwealth Games in Australia. She also won gold in the same event at the XXII Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.
Manuel "Manny" Huerta, is a Cuban-born triathlete. After emigrating from Cuba to the United States as a young man, Huerta began training as a professional triathlete. For the United States he won the silver medal in men's triathlon at the 2011 Pan American Games and in 2012 qualified as a member of the United States Olympic Team. In 2013, he left the US Olympic Team to compete for the Puerto Rico Olympic Team.
The men's triathlon was one of the triathlon events at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. It took place on 7 August 2012, featuring 55 men from 32 countries. It was the fourth appearance of an Olympic men's triathlon event since the first at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. The race was around Hyde Park, a 1.42 km2 park in central London. The race was held over the "international distance" and consisted of 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) swimming, 42.959 kilometres (26.693 mi) road cycling, and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) road running.
The women's triathlon was one of the triathlon events at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. It took place on 4 August 2012, featuring 55 women from 31 countries. It was the fourth appearance of an Olympic women's triathlon event since the first at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The race was around Hyde Park, a 1.42 km2 park in central London. The race was held over the "international distance" and consisted of 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) swimming, 43 kilometres (27 mi) road cycling, and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) road running.
Richard Varga is a Slovak triathlete. He is the winner of the 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2015 ITU Aquathlon World Championship and is considered as the fastest swimmer among triathletes.
The men's triathlon was part of the Triathlon at the 2004 Summer Olympics programme. It was the second appearance of the event, which was established in 2000. The competition was held on Thursday, August 26, 2004 at the Vouliagmeni Olympic Centre in Athens. Fifty triathletes from 26 nations competed.
Melanie McQuaid is a Canadian triathlete. Competing in primarily XTERRA Triathlon, or cross triathlon, she has won three XTERRA World Championships as well as the ITU Cross Triathlon World Championship in 2011 and 2017. McQuaid also races in half-iron and Ironman 70.3 triathlon events, with half a dozen wins at this distance.
The Triathlon competitions at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, in Glasgow, were held in Strathclyde Country Park. The men's and women's individual events were held on Thursday 24 July and women's triathlon was the first medal event of the Games. Mixed team relay was held on Saturday 26 July for the first time ever in major multi-sport Games. Marisol Casado, ITU President and IOC member, commented: "We are delighted the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee has embraced the Triathlon Mixed Relay. Triathlon is on currently on a high in the United Kingdom, and the Mixed Relay will offer an extra opportunity for the people of Glasgow to watch another thrilling and unpredictable event live on their city streets."
The Embrunman is a long distance triathlon held on August 15 each year around Embrun in the Hautes-Alpes, France. It is an equivalent triathlon consisting of a swim of 3.8 km, a 186 km cycle ride and running a marathon (42.195 km), but is not affiliated with the World Triathlon Corporation which owns the brand Ironman, so is not promoted as such. The French newspaper Le Dauphiné libéré described it in 2012 as the hardest triathlon in the world. The men's record time for the event is 9 h 28m 18 s by the Frenchman Léon Chevalier on August 15, 2021 and the women's record is held by Carrie Lester from Australia at 10 h 46 m 26 s. The men's record number of victories in this event is held by spanish triathlete Marcel Zamora Pérez with six wins, and women's record by Briton Bella Bayliss Commerford with 3 victories.
Claire Michel is a Belgian professional triathlete. She is the 2013 Aquathlon vice-World Champion. She has been named Belgian Triathlon's Female Athlete of the Year twice, in 2014 and 2015, she's part of the National Team and represented Belgium at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. She is also Belgian Champion on Sprint distance for 2016.
The men's triathlon at the 2016 Summer Olympics took place at Fort Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro on 18 August.
Bence Bicsák is a Hungarian professional triathlete. He is a member of the Hungarian 2020 Olympic Triathlon team. He competed in the men's individual event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Summer Games. He placed 7th out of 51 Olympians that started the race.
