Discipline's origin

   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 500 metre swim.

   Over the next decade, triathlon grew by leaps and bounds and soon gained recognition throughout the world. In 1989, the International Triathlon Union (ITU) was founded in Avignon, France, and the first official world championships were held. The official distance for triathlon was set at a 1500 metre swim, a 40km cycle and a 10km run - taken from existing events in each discipline already on the Olympic programme. This standard distance is used for the ITU World Cup series and was also featured at the Sydney Olympic Games.

   Since 1989, the sport has grown rapidly and now has over a hundred affiliated national federations around the world.

   Olympic history

   In 1994, at the International Olympic Committee's Congress in Paris, France, triathlon was awarded full medal status on the Olympic programme and triathlon made its debut at the 2000 Olympic Summer Games in Sydney, Australia. The women's event took place on the first day while the men competed on day two. Triathlon was one of the first medals awarded at the Sydney Olympics. Brigette McMahon (SUI) and Simon Whitfield (CAN) won triathlon's first Olympic gold medals.

Credit: IOC

For further info., please visit http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/programme/disciplines_uk.asp?DiscCode=TR.