![]() ![]() Multisport would never be the same again. Most significantly and controversially, it saw the elite sport abandon its non-drafting cycling roots, a decision that caused the biggest rift in tri history and witnessed an exodus of athletes (including Brit superstar Spencer Smith) to Ironman.īut in September 1994, the news arrived that triathlon would become an official Olympic Games sport at Sydney 2000. It led to the formation of the International Triathlon Union (ITU), and enough federation jostling, power struggles and political manoeuvrings to fill a Netflix series. Led by the formidable, irascible and divisive Geordie-turned-Canadian Les McDonald, tri’s route to Olympic Games inclusion was a rocky one. Gwen Jorgensen – run secrets of a speed demon.Inside Gwen Jorgensen's pre-Olympic training camp.Yet Jorgensen refused to be broken by the wily, tough-as-teak Swiss, and broke away with a lap to go to finally scoop America’s first Olympic Games tri gold. The two hadn’t faced one another since London 2012, and the mid-race sparring could be heard from the grandstand. The 10km run became a straight shootout between the American and Switzerland’s reigning Olympic champion, Nicola Spirig. With the Copacabana in Rio, Brazil, as the unrivalled backdrop, the American stayed near the front on the swim and bike legs, proving to her critics once and for all that she could handle herself on two wheels. Yet Gwen Jorgensen rose above the doubts in 2016 to claim goldand enter multisport’s list of immortals. Rio Olympic Games 2016 Gwen Jorgensen wins gold at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games (Credit: International Triathlon Union/Delly Carr)Īs Brit Simon Lessing in 2000 and Javier Gomez in 2008 will testify, the Olympic Games triathlons haven’t always been kind to the pre-race favourites. So how did we narrow all that action down to just 25 highlights?! Well, it wasn't easy, but someone had to do it… 25. In 2016, paratriathlon made its glorious debut on Copacabana Beach at the Paralympic Games five years later the mixed relay event would take its spectacularly frenetic bow. ![]() We've seen epic crashes, penalties issued, bikes carried, photo finishes and stray boats! Lifelong dreams have been realised and obliterated within seconds of each other.Īnd that's just the Olympic action. Since that groundbreaking day, five more iconic cities – Athens, Beijing, London, Rio and Tokyo – have watched on as 32 more Olympic medals have been awarded. By the end of the day, six athletes were presented with medals and an audience of millions was transfixed. Set against a Sydney Opera House backdrop, the world's very best male and female triathletes showed the world what it meant to be an endurance athlete. On 16 September 2000, short-course triathlon was beamed to a global audience. 25 best moments in Olympic and Paralympic triathlon history
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