Triathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Encyclopedia
The Triathlon
competitions at the 2012 Summer Olympics
, in London
, are scheduled to be held in Hyde Park
. The women's is scheduled for Saturday 4 August and the men's for Tuesday 7 August. A total of 110 athletes, 55 men and 55 women, are expected to take part. Triathlon made its debut at the Summer Olympics during the 2000 Games
in Sydney; the six gold medallists to date have come from six different nations.
contains three components; a 1.5 km (0.93205910497471 mi) swim, 40 km (24.9 mi) cycle, and a 10 km (6.2 mi) run. The competitions take the form of a single event between all competitors with no heats.
Both the men's and women's events will take place in Hyde Park
, one of the eight Royal Parks of London
. The swim will take place in the Serpentine
which will have a pontoon constructed to act as the start. The cycle will involve athletes leaving the park via Queen Mother's Gate, travelling through Wellington Arch
, down Constitution Hill
and on to Birdcage Walk
in front of Buckingham Palace
before returning to the park to complete the event with a four lap run around the Serpentine.
A temporary 3000-capacity seating area will be constructed in the park in June 2012 and a three-metre high temporary fence will surround the events. It will be the first games where triathletes will have to serve penalties in a box, having previous just had the time added on at the end of the race which have to be taken at some point on the run section.
Qualification events have four different levels with points awarded on a sliding scale. Level one events carry 1000 points for the winner and are the World Championship grand finals in 2010 and 2011 as well as the Olympic qualification event in 2011. There are 800 points available to the winner of the ten World Championship series events held over the qualifying period, 500 points for the level three World Cups and 400 points for the level four Continental Championships. In all races athletes must finish in the top 50 and within 5% of the winner's time, for men's races, and 8% for women's races.
Thirty-nine athletes will qualify via the ranking, next to the 5 continental champions and the top 3 in the International Qualifying Event, held in London on August 6-7, 2011. In the end, a further 5 places will be distributed to countries without any quota.
(UTC+1
). All event times are subject to change.
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
competitions at the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, are scheduled to be held in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
. The women's is scheduled for Saturday 4 August and the men's for Tuesday 7 August. A total of 110 athletes, 55 men and 55 women, are expected to take part. Triathlon made its debut at the Summer Olympics during the 2000 Games
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney; the six gold medallists to date have come from six different nations.
Format and venue
The Olympic triathlonTriathlon at the Summer Olympics
Triathlon had its Summer Olympics debut at the 2000 Games, in Sydney, and has been contested since then. It is governed by the International Triathlon Union.-History:...
contains three components; a 1.5 km (0.93205910497471 mi) swim, 40 km (24.9 mi) cycle, and a 10 km (6.2 mi) run. The competitions take the form of a single event between all competitors with no heats.
Both the men's and women's events will take place in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, one of the eight Royal Parks of London
Royal Parks of London
The Royal Parks of London are lands originally owned by the monarchy of the United Kingdom for the recreation of the royal family...
. The swim will take place in the Serpentine
Serpentine (lake)
The Serpentine is a 28-acre recreational lake in Hyde Park, London, England, created in 1730. Although it is common to refer to the entire body of water as the Serpentine, strictly the name refers only to the eastern half of the lake...
which will have a pontoon constructed to act as the start. The cycle will involve athletes leaving the park via Queen Mother's Gate, travelling through Wellington Arch
Wellington Arch
Wellington Arch, also known as Constitution Arch or the Green Park Arch, is a triumphal arch located to the south of Hyde Park in central London and at the north western corner of Green Park...
, down Constitution Hill
Constitution Hill, London
Constitution Hill is a road in the City of Westminster in London. It connects the western end of The Mall with Hyde Park Corner, and is bordered by Buckingham Palace Gardens and Green Park. The term "Hill" is something of a misnomer; there is barely detectable slope but most observers would...
and on to Birdcage Walk
Birdcage Walk
Birdcage Walk is a street in London, United Kingdom, in the City of Westminster. It runs east-west as a continuation of Great George Street, from the crossroads with Horse Guards Road and Storey's Gate, with the Treasury building on the north east corner, to a junction with Buckingham Gate, at the...
in front of Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
before returning to the park to complete the event with a four lap run around the Serpentine.
A temporary 3000-capacity seating area will be constructed in the park in June 2012 and a three-metre high temporary fence will surround the events. It will be the first games where triathletes will have to serve penalties in a box, having previous just had the time added on at the end of the race which have to be taken at some point on the run section.
Qualification
The qualification period runs from 1 June 2010 to 31 May 2012; triathletes for each gender will qualify at the end of this period. Points are awarded based on finishes in a range of international events and athletes can use their best 14 results for their Olympic qualification - six from the first year and eight from the second.Qualification events have four different levels with points awarded on a sliding scale. Level one events carry 1000 points for the winner and are the World Championship grand finals in 2010 and 2011 as well as the Olympic qualification event in 2011. There are 800 points available to the winner of the ten World Championship series events held over the qualifying period, 500 points for the level three World Cups and 400 points for the level four Continental Championships. In all races athletes must finish in the top 50 and within 5% of the winner's time, for men's races, and 8% for women's races.
Thirty-nine athletes will qualify via the ranking, next to the 5 continental champions and the top 3 in the International Qualifying Event, held in London on August 6-7, 2011. In the end, a further 5 places will be distributed to countries without any quota.
Schedule
All times are British Summer TimeBritish Summer Time
Western European Summer Time is a summer daylight saving time scheme, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used in the following places:* the Canary Islands* Portugal * Ireland...
(UTC+1
UTC+1
UTC+01:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +01:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .This time is used in:*Central European Time*West Africa Time*Western European Summer Time**British Summer Time**Irish Standard Time...
). All event times are subject to change.
| Event | Date | Start Time |
|---|---|---|
| Women's Triathlon | 4 August | 9:00 |
| Men's Triathlon | 7 August | 11:30 |