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, 'three', and ἆθλος, 'competition'.
A relay race is a racing competition where members of a team take turns completing parts of racecourse or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games. Relay races are common in running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating. In the Olympic Games, there are several types of relay races that are part of track and field, each consisting of a set number of stages (legs), each leg run by different members of a team. The runner finishing one leg is usually required to pass the next runner a stick-like object known as a "baton" while both are running in a marked exchange zone. In most relays, team members cover equal distances: Olympic events for both men and women are the 400-metre and 1,600-metre relays. Some non-Olympic relays are held at distances of 800 m, 3,200 m, and 6,000 m. In the less frequently run medley relays, however, the athletes cover different distances in a prescribed order—as in a sprint medley of 200, 200, 400, 800 metres or a distance medley of 1,200, 400, 800, 1,600 metres.
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. It is recognised as the international federation for the sport of triathlon and its derivatives by the International Olympic Committee, and it organises Olympic triathlon events on behalf of the IOC.
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.
Emma Moffatt is a retired Australian professional triathlete. She won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and won the gold at the ITU Triathlon World Championships in 2009 and in 2010. She was born in Moree, New South Wales, and was raised in the northern New South Wales town of Woolgoolga.
Triathlon at the 2010 Asian Games was held in Guangzhou, China from November 13 to 14, 2010. Both men and women competed on the Guangzhou Triathlon Venue.
Jeremy McClure is an Australian swimmer, triathlete and motivational speaker. He competed at four Paralympics - 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London and 2016 Rio.
The triathlon competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro took place from 18 to 20 August 2016 at Fort Copacabana. Fifty-five athletes competed in each of the men's and women's events.
The triathlon competitions at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo featured fifty-five athletes competing in each of the men's and women's events. The 2020 Olympics were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also added the new mixed team relay event.
The World Triathlon Championship Series is an annual series of triathlon events organised by World Triathlon. The series is used to crown an annual world champion since 2008. Previously, the ITU world champion between 1989 and 2008 had been decided in a single annual championship race.
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."
China participated in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea from 19 September to 4 October 2014.
The men's individual competition of the triathlon events at the 2015 Pan American Games will be held on July 12 at the Ontario Place West Channel in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The defending Pan American Games champion is Reinaldo Colucci of Brazil.
The women's individual competition of the triathlon events at the 2015 Pan American Games was held on July 11, 2015 at the Ontario Place West Channel in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The defending Pan American Games champion is Sarah Haskins of the United States.
Triathlon at the 2018 Asian Games was held at the JSC Lake Jakabaring, Palembang, Indonesia, from 31 August to 2 September. Both men and women competed in individual events, plus a mixed-gendered relay event.
Triathlon at the 2017 Central American Games was held at the San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua from 16 December to 17 December. Both men and women competed in individual events, plus a mixed-gendered relay event.
The men's individual competition of the triathlon events at the 2019 Pan American Games was held on July 27 at the Agua Dulce in Lima, Peru. The defending Pan American Games champion is Reinaldo Colucci of Brazil.
The mixed relay triathlon at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place at the Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo on 31 July 2021.
Triathlon at the 2022 Asian Games was held at the Chun'an Jieshou Sports Centre Triathlon Course, Hangzhou, China, from 29 September to 2 October. Both men and women competed in individual events, plus a mixed-gendered relay event.
The triathlon competitions at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris ran from 31 July to 5 August at Pont Alexandre III, featuring a total of 110 athletes who were to compete in each of the men's and women's events. After a successful debut at the 2020 Summer Olympics, the mixed relay competition will remain in the triathlon program for the second time.
