Triathlon at the Summer Olympics
Triathlon got almost little media coverage in the initial time, but it has grown its popularity and doubled the number of triathletes over the recent years. Triathlon is originally managed by the International Triathlon Union and had its Summer Olympics debut at the 2000 Games, in Sydney, and has been contested since then. The triathlon races will take place in Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo Bay from July 25 to July 30, 2021, with nights of action. In each of the men's and women's triathlon events at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, fifty-five athletes are expected to compete.
An Olympic triathlon is a multisport event that includes swimming, cycling, and running over multiple lengths. Triathletes race for the fastest total time by racing each phase in order, with the time changing between the disciplines.
There are two medal events in the Olympic triathlon: one for men and the other for women. Both races involve the same 1.5 km, 40 km, and 10 km distances. During the cycling phase, mass starts are employed and drafting is permitted. Official time-based records for the triathlon are not recorded due to the unpredictability of courses and uncontrolled factors. A mixed relay race will be included in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Teams of two men and two women will compete on a 300-meter swim, an 8-kilometer bike ride, and a 2-kilometer run before tagging a teammate.
Qualification Process
National Olympic Committees, not individual athletes, are given qualification positions in the triathlon. NOCs can qualify for the triathlon in five different ways. NOCs can earn up to three berths, but only eight nations will be able to do so. Beyond that, only two spots are available.
The winners of the five regional qualifying tournaments receive the first five spots. The top three triathletes from the most recent Triathlon World Championships get three more spots, while any competitor who won a regional competition is overlooked in that determination. The NOCs of the athletes with the highest ITU ranking take the remaining 39 spots. If the host nation has not yet been assigned a spot, the next highest-ranked athlete is given the spot if the host country has already been assigned one. Finally, through the ITU Points List, five additional berths are given to NOCs without quota, one for each continent.
Highest Medalist Nations
The study shows that Great Britain is the most medal-winning nation with two gold medals in triathlon. The second important position was taken by Switzerland, which is one of the hardest running teams in the Olympic Triathlon. However, below are the highest Olympic medalist nations in the world:
Great Britain (GBR) total 5 and gold 2, Switzerland (SUI) total 5 and gold 2, Australia (AUS) total 5 and gold 1, New Zealand (NZL) total 3 and gold 1, Canada (CAN) total 2 and gold 1, Germany (GER) total 2 and gold 1, United States (USA) total 2 and gold 1, Austria (AUT) total 1 and gold 1.
The odds on triathlon at the Summer Olympics is in the menu to the left.