Sports Olympics Olympic Events
Triathlon First Olympic Appearance:
by Gerry Brown TRIATHLON, the sport of ironmen and women, will make its Olympic debut at the Sydney Games. While not as demanding as Hawaii's annual Ironman Triathlon, the Olympic edition will still be a great exhibition of strength speed , and stamina
Did You Know?
The triathlon, which was born in San Diego in 1974, is the youngest sport that will be contested at the 2000 Olympics.
The competitors will race in a 1.5-kilometer swim, 40km bike ride and 10km run. The course will take them by many famous Sydney landmarks, including the Sydney Opera House . The race is held with a continuously running clock and therefore the changeovers or transitions between the swimming and biking and between the biking and running will be crucial to a triathlete's success. The first person to complete the full course is the winner.
The swimming event starts the race. Competitors begin in a large mass, diving off a pontoon into the water. They swim a triangular course marked with buoys and ropes and can use any swimming stroke they prefer. Once they get out of the water, the racers don their helmets, grab their bikes, and start pedaling. They must ride the bike the entire way unless they get a flat tire. In that case, they can run with the bike to one of six tire-changing stations. In most triathlons the competitors must change the tire themselves but at Sydney, specially trained teams will perform the task for them.
Once off the bikes, the final stretch begins. The triathletes finish with the 10km run and must complete the course on their feet, meaning no crawling across the finish line. The biking and running portions of the race will be held on the same course. | |
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