TriOurWorld

The Olympic Games of 2000 in Sydney, Australia, were the first to see the inclusion of the Triathlon as an Olympic event. The distance of an Olympic Triathlon course is a 1,500m swim, a 40km bike, and a 10km run. Governed by the International Triathlon Union, it was determined that a quota of 55 men and 55 women could compete in the summer 2008 Beijing Olympics. Men and Women compete in separate races, but use the same distances. Because the courses differ each time, there are no official records kept for the Olympic triathlon. Unofficially, Simon Whitfield of Canada holds the fasted time for men (1 hour, 48 minutes, and 24 seconds) and Emma Snowsill of Australia holds the fasted time for Women (1 hour, 58 minutes, 27 seconds).If you’re interested in becoming (or raising) an Olympic Triathlete, the road goes a little something like this. Most promising Olympic triathletes start young, competing in kid’s triathlons around the country at the ripe age of 13. The USAT helps kids realize their goals of becoming Olympic athletes and runs draft-legal triathlons, called Youth Elite Cups, in the Olympic format. The USAT also organizes and staffs camps for experienced, competitive triathletes ages 12-19. If you show a lot of promise and talent, the USAT will invite you to join the collegiate team, comprised of up to 8 athletes that live and train in the US Olympic training center in Colorado Springs during their summer breaks. The next level is USAT’s National Teams Program whose main goal is to train triathletes to achieve ultimate Olympic success. To qualify for the US Olympic team you must win the Pan American Games, the 2008 ITU Triathlon World Championships, be in the top 125 of the ITU Olympic Qualification rankings, and be in the top 125 of the ITU World Cup Rankings. Like any other Olympic sport, it takes a LOT (more like a lifetime) of dedication and hard work to even qualify for the Olympic Games.