Triathlon debuted at the Olympics in 2000; the 2004 Athens edition at Vouliagmeni drew 100 athletes across two events in the sport's second Olympic appearance.
Key Facts
- Total competitors
- 100 (50 per event)
- Swim distance
- 1500 metres open water
- Cycle distance
- 40 kilometres road race
- Run distance
- 10 kilometres road run
- Women's event date
- 25 August 2004
- Men's event date
- 26 August 2004
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Triathlon was added to the Olympic programme at the Sydney 2000 Games, establishing a standard format of a 1500 m swim, 40 km cycle, and 10 km run. Athens 2004 continued this format, selecting the Vouliagmeni Olympic Centre for its open-water swim course, confirmed by a test event in October 2003.
At the 2004 Summer Olympics, 100 triathletes competed at Vouliagmeni Olympic Centre, with 50 women racing on 25 August and 50 men on 26 August. Each athlete completed a 1500 m open-water swim, a 40 km road cycle, and a 10 km run, with timed transitions counted in the final result.
The Athens triathlon events reinforced the Olympic format for the discipline, with both transitions judged and timed under official scrutiny. The pre-Olympic test event, won by Rasmus Henning and Michellie Jones, had helped validate the course ahead of full Olympic competition.
Result
at Vouliagmeni Olympic Centre, Athens, Greece