About

   While taekwondo and triathlon both debuted as the newest Olympic sports at the Sydney 2000 Games, triathlon was literally the newest sport. Although the origins of taekwondo date back thousands of years, the triathlon dates back to 1978.

   The first triathlon was held in the south-western United States city of San Diego in 1974, in many ways an outgrowth of the California jogging craze. The ultimate endurance test, it requires athletes to excel at three very different pursuits - swimming, cycling and running. The sport demands particularly intense discipline because each area requires a high-level training schedule.

   Competition

   Triathlon races are held over four distances, labelled Sprint, Olympic, Long Course and Ultra. The Olympic triathlon comprises a 1.5 kilometre swim, a 40km bike ride, and a 10km run.

   After a mass start, the race remains continuous, with no stop between the three legs. Changeovers, then, are vital to race strategy. Women are expected to finish in just over two hours, with men requiring about 1 hour 50 minutes. The women race on the opening morning of the Games, followed by the men the next morning.

   List of events

   -- Individual Men

   -- Individual Women

Credit: IOC

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