Triathletes are highly specialized athletes because they need to perform well in not just one, but three sports. Training is very strenuous and mental toughness is just as important as physical conditioning in this sport.
Triathlon is an excellent way to exercise and can be enjoyed either outdoors or indoors using pools, stationary bikes and treadmills. For more information about how to become a triathlete please visit http://www.triathloncanada.com for a list of Provincial triathlon federations and get ready to sweat!
The first triathlon was held in 1974 and the sport made its Olympic debut in 2000 at the Sydney Games.
Triathlons vary in length, from super sprint to ultra endurance, but the Olympic competition involves 51.5 combined kilometres of swimming, bicycling and running. Athletes switch from one activity to the next activity, without resting, in communal “transition” areas.
At the Olympics, the men’s and women’s events are held separately. Swimming is always the first activity and takes place in a large body of water such as a lake or an ocean.
When the triathletes exit the water they don their cycling gear and get “on the road” as quickly as they possibly can. Competitors must then cycle 40 kilometres to the next transition point where they leave their bicycles and start the final 10 kilometre run to the finish line.
The winner of the triathlon is the athlete who completes all three components of the race before anyone else and crosses the “finish” line first.
Triathletes are multitalented individuals, to say the least! Triathlon consists of not one but three gruelling tests of endurance in the forms of swimming, cycling and running.
Results for Triathlon |
Typical Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical Jump | (Explosive Power) | High |
| Sit and Reach | (Flexibility) | Medium |
| 800m Run | (Aerobic Fitness) | High |
| Partial Curl-Ups | (Muscular Endurance) | Medium |
| 30m Sprint | (Speed) | Medium |
| Stork Stand | (Balance) | High |
| T-Drill | (Agility) | Low |
| Basketball Throw | (Strength) | Low |
