The triathlon is a single race that combines three elements: a 1.5km swim, a 40km bike ride and a 10km run (in that order).
Athlete stamina is tested to the max, as there are no breaks between each section. Also, unlike many other running, swimming and cycling events, there are no heats — only one final (women's and men's).
In all, 110 athletes (55 men, 55 women) compete in the three events.
Here is everything to know about triathlon at the 2024 Olympics.
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Triathlon events at the 2024 Olympics
There are three triathlon events at the 2024 Paris Games:
- Men's individual race (Tuesday, July 30)
- Women's individual race (Wednesday, July 31)
- Mixed team relay event (Monday, Aug. 5)
The mixed team relay event debuted at the Tokyo Games and returns in Paris. Relay teams consist of four athletes (two men, two women) who race in this order: female-male-female-male. Each competitor runs through a 300m swim, 6.8km cycle and 2km run before tagging their next teammate, who then initiates their portion of the race.
Triathlon venue for the 2024 Olympics
All three triathlons will be staged in the heart of Paris, with the famed Pont Alexandre III bridge and the Seine River serving as the location for the 1500m swimming stage of the race.
Organizers said the triathlon and marathon swimming events could be postponed by a few days if conditions in the Seine are deemed unsafe. If dangerous conditions persist, the triathlon could be turned into a duathlon with the swimming portion axed completely.
Triathlon athletes to watch at the 2024 Olympics
The current gold medal favorite on the men's side is Great Britain's Alex Yee, who earned an individual silver and a mixed team realy gold in Tokyo. Yee cruised through the 2023 season, winning two World Triathlon Championship (WTCS) events and the Paris Test Event.
Host nation France also boasts gold medal contenders: 2023 world champion Dorian Coninx and 2022 world champion Leo Bergere. Coninx finished third and Bergere fifth at the Paris Test Event. In Tokyo, Norway's Kristian Blummenfelt won gold with a time of 1:45:04. The 29-year-old trudged through the 2023 season with sickness but will surely contend for a medal in Paris.
For the women, Tokyo gold medal winner Flora Duffy (Bermuda) and two-time Olympic medalist Georgia Taylor-Brown (Great Britain) are names to watch. Both battled injuries throughout 2023, which opens the field to newcomers like Great Britain's Beth Potter, the 2023 world champion who also won the Paris Test Event in August. Both Cassandre Beaugrand and Emma Lombardi from host France will challenge the top tier. For the U.S., Taylor Knibb represents the nation's best chance for a triathlon medal. Renowned as an elite cyclist, Knibb finished fifth at the Paris Test Event.
In the mixed team relay, France seems to boast the deepest squad and will contend for gold after taking bronze in Tokyo. Great Britain, the defending Olympic champions, will also figure to medal, featuring the star power of Yee and Potter. The U.S. struggled during the 2023 season but top athletes like Knibb and Taylor Spivey will look to propel the Americans to the medal podium.
Triathlon schedule for the 2024 Olympics
Here is the full triathlon schedule for the 2024 Paris Olympics (all times ET).
| Date/time | Events | Stream |
| Tuesday, July 30, 2-4:30 a.m. | Men's triathlon | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
| Wednesday, July 31, 2-4:40 a.m. | Women's triathlon | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
| Monday, Aug. 5, 2-4:10 a.m. | Mixed team relay | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
