To succeed in Triathlon, not only stamina is key, but also dominating over the triple technical demands of the disciplines included in the competition Triathlon at #Santiago2023 add points to the Olympic ranking towards Paris 2024.
Triathlon is a recent sport, with a little under 50 years experience, that was born at San Diego Track Club in California, in the 70s. Its original goal was to become an alternative sport to the demanding track training.
Once it was established as a sport, the International Olympic Commitee decided to include it in the Olympic Games program and Triathlon debuted at Sidney 2000 with the individual events and to define the distances of the events, the distances of the already existing events in the Olympic Program were taken from each sport. The competition that year was very tight, in female and male events. Surprisingly, the podium places were defined by mere seconds.
In the case of the Pan American Games, triathlon debuted in the Mar del Plata 1995 edition and like the Olympic Games, both genders participated from the start. In teh Pan American medal count, United States stands out with five gold medals.
As the sport is three consecutive disciplines, triathlon requires a high mental and physical stamina. Races start with swimming, follow-up with cycling and end up with running, with no interruptions between them.
The swimming event is done in open water, and all athletes start together until they complete the 1.5 km course. Then they perform the first transition or T1, where they change their swimming equipment for the cycling one, only then can they ride the bicycle upon leaving the Transition Area and passing the riding line.
The cycling route is 40 km long and normally it is done with several quick and short turns, where group pedalling is allowed as in the road cycling events, so the mastery over the bicycle and the ability to make quick speed changes are very important when competing. The use of helmet is mandatory! Once it is finished, athletes go through the second transition or T2, where they must leave their bicycles and prepare for the final event.
The last stage is the 10 km run, where the competition is determined. Athletes must be capable of distancing themselves from other competitors to define the event and it is usual to see sudden rhythm changes to set differences.
Although it is an event that lasts between 1:40 and 2:00 hours, due to the distances included in each event, a high intensity is needed to compete.
At the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, the new Mixed Relay event was included, where each team is comprised by two female athletes and two male athletes, where each athlete performs a short and fast triathlon in the order male-female-male-female.
The distances are 300 m in swimming, 6 km in cycling and 1.6 km in running.
Each athlete, upon finishing the triathlon, touching hands with the next teammate delivers the relay, so they can begin the next triathlon.
The Mixed Relay event is dynamic and shifting, and it is trilling and exciting for the spectators to follow.
Cristián Bustos is considered one of the legends of Chilean triathlon. He participated at the age of 19 in the first competition of this type in Chile in 1984, where he obtained third place. Since then, he has never left this sport, becoming an example to follow for all triathletes in the country. Currently, the former athlete is responsible for the sports consulting Team Bustos. There he prepares national athletes who are going to participate in triathlons and an even more demanding version of the discipline, the Ironman. Held annually in Pucón, during the first days of January, this race increases the distances of each of the competitions and is called "the most beautiful race in the world".
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