Triathlon at 2008 Summer Games: Triathlon is an endurance sport event. The event developed at the beginning of the twentieth century. In the triathlon competitions, participants contest in three disciplines-swimming, cycling and running. The
three events are held one after other. Triathlon races can be divided in various categories based on the distance covered during the competition. The distances are-Labeled Sprint, Olympic, Long Course and Ultra. The athletes have to preserve their energy for the next stage, to excel in the competition. They are also needed to be expert in all the three events contested during the competition. The International Triathlon Union or the ITU is the international governing body for the event.
Triathlon in the Summer Games: The modern triathlon event was included in the Olympic schedule at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games. The triathlon competition at the Olympics consists of three stages. The first stage is a 1500 meter swimming event. In the second stage, participants compete in the cycling event for a distance of 40 kilometer and the third and the last stage of the competition is a 10 kilometer run. Both men and women contest at the Olympic triathlon competition.
Rules for Triathlon: The International Triathlon Union or the ITU is authorized to set rules for triathlon at the international level. Some of the rules followed during the international triathlon competitions are-
Traditionally triathlon is an individual sport, where the athletes participate in the events.
Triathlon competitions are divided in various categories.
The individual rules of swimming, cycling and running are followed during the triathlon events, where the athletes contest in the three events.
Timing of the athletes at each contest is recorded during the competition. The timings are added to get the final time taken to complete the entire competition. The athlete, who finishes the competition in minimum time, is the winner.
At the international triathlon competitions, the time taken by the athletes in between two consecutive contests is also added to the final time.
During the cycling contest at the triathlon competition, wearing the bike helmet is compulsory for the athletes. An athlete is readily disqualified from the competition, if found without helmet.
The athletes can be disqualified for leaving the course during the competition.
Medal Winners in the Triathlon: Simon Whitfield, Stephan Vuckovic, Jan Rehula, Hamish Carter, Bevan Docherty and Sven Riederer are some of the leading triathletes of the world. The women triathletes who excelled at the international level are Brigitte McMahon, Michellie Jones, Magali Messmer, Kate Allen, Loretta Harrop and Susan Williams.
