Triathlon
[Competition venue: Odaiba Marine Park]
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Overview
Distance: Olympic distance
(1.5km swim, 40km cycle, 10km run)The triathlon is an outdoor sport in which athletes compete in three consecutive events in the following order: swimming, cycling and distance running.
They are placed according to the order in which they cross the finishing line after the final event.Key Points
Calorie consumption and physical damage resulting from the triathlon are believed to be less than those from a full marathon. It takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes for top male athletes to complete the race and about 2 hours for top female athletes.
In the designated transition areas (swimming-->cycling, and cycling-->running) athletes change their shoes, etc., to prepare for the next sport. This transition must be completed quickly: it takes about 8 to 10 seconds for Olympic athletes.
In the Triathlon, the winner is determined by the finishing order, and therefore official world records are not kept.
Important factors that impact success in this sport are experience and tactical ability. Spectators should watch carefully for the athletes' tactics during the race. The triathlon has become very popular in Western countries, even overtaking the marathon. At the London 2012 Games, the race attracted 1.2 million spectators in two days (to both the men's and women's events).
There is much anticipation in Japan for a Japanese athlete to win a first Olympic medal in this event.History
The triathlon was invented in 1974 in San Diego, California, United States of America. In the 1980s, the Olympic-distance was created, and the sport gained in worldwide popularity in the 1990s.
The triathlon made its Olympic debut at the 2000 Sydney Games.
The word triathlon was coined as a portmanteau of the Latin words “tri” meaning three, and “athlon” meaning “sport,” to mean three continuous events.Detail
Men Women Event Individual competition Individual competition Mixed Mixed Team Relay
（Updated on April 10, 2019）
