Competition details
Triathlon made its debut at the Sydney Olympic Games on the first day of
competition.
The event involves swimming, cycling and running, and is a continuous race
against the clock and fellow competitors.
The distances of events can vary but the Olympic distances are a 1.5 kilometre
swim, a 40km bike ride, and a 10km run.
Five facts
1) Triathlon was invented in the early 1970s by the San Diego Track Club, as
an alternative workout to the rigours of track training. The club's first event
consisted of a 10km run, an 8km cycle and a 500m swim.
2) Today over 350 triathlon events are held in Britain alone, in addition to
duathlons, which combine any two of the three disciplines of triathlon. These
events are administered by the British Triathlon Association.
3) Britain has had eight world champions (including three in the physically
challenged category) and two junior world champions.
4) Britain's most recent world champion was Britain's Simon Lessing.
5) The swimming stage of the Athens triathlon will take place at one of city's
most famous beaches, Oceanida.
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us