A new and exciting Olympic event, the triathlon mixed relay, will be held for the first time at Tokyo 2020 on July 31.
There will be ten teams in the race, and each will have two male and two female members.
Less than 90 minutes is all you’ll need to finish the race. It moves rapidly, requires strategy, and can leave you completely spent.
How Does the Mixed Triathlon Work?
Each participant must complete a 300-meter swim, a 6.8-kilometer bike ride, and a 2-kilometer run before passing the relay to their teammate by tapping their palm.
Each participant’s effort typically lasts around 20 minutes, bringing the entire time of a race to less than 90 minutes.
“I think it’s terrific that men and women get to race together, and it’s excellent for spectators because it’s quick and furious,” said the older of Britain’s Brownlee brothers.
France’s 2018 and 2020 World Champion Léonie Périault told Tokyo 2020 that competing in the event comes with a new kind of pressure.
“Excellent work, as a team. During mixed relay, I experience a surge of adrenaline. If we go for a run without anyone else, we don’t have it. I don’t compete alone, but rather to push my teammates to their limits.”
The thought of failing and bringing the squad down with us gives us a rush.
From 2003 until 2007, the world championships had separate triathlon relay events for male and female participants. However, the 4×4 mixed event’s success has allowed it to become the only relay event on the international athletic calendar.
When did Triathlon Relay Teams Consist of Both Sexes?
The first World Championships were held in 2009, making this sport both novel and rapidly gaining in popularity.
This sport was first introduced at the 2009 Singapore Youth Olympic Games.
In 2014, Hamburg played host to the inaugural Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships. Since then, the festival has been held in that German city every year. There were approximately 250,000 onlookers in 2016.
It will be introduced for the first time at the Summer Olympics at the Tokyo 2020 Games in 2021.
How has the Sport of Triathlon’s Relay Format Evolved Recently?
Iaki Arenal, head coach of the Spanish triathlon mixed relay team, told Tokyo 2020 that the event will foster “harmony between male and female athletes,” in addition to helping bring equality to the most gender-balanced Games in history.
He described the event as “quite stunning because it is incredibly fast” and noted that “various techniques owing to the vast diversity the competition has over its parts.”
In light of the novel tactics that will need to be employed, training regimens have been adjusted accordingly.
At Spain’s national training camp, Arenal keeps that in mind.
He explained that in order to prepare the athletes for the mixed relay, “we have to adjust the tempo of the training sessions in order to enhance the power than the endurance.”
When compared to an Olympic Triathlon, which consists of a 1.5-kilometer swim, a 40-kilometer bike ride, and a 10-kilometer run, the course of this race requires athletes to considerably boost their power.
Who Will We See in the Mixed Relay Triathlon at Tokyo 2020?
France has been dominant in mixed relay in recent years, and they won their third straight global title at the 2020 championships in Hamburg, their fourth in the past six years.
They had already won in Tokyo, at an Olympic test event in 2019, thus they will likely be among the favourites at the Tokyo 2020 Games in 2021.
According to Périault, France’s national team is unbeatable because of its members’ shared values and qualities.
Her statement that “we don’t have any weak places” was resolute.
“We have a constantly rotating cast of characters but still manage to win. Our crew is really cohesive and cohesive. Another one of our strengths as a team is how well acquainted we all are. The mood is pleasant, and we’re all on the same page.”
With Ali Brownlee and his brother Jonny, who won silver and bronze in the Olympics, Great Britain has a good chance of placing highly.
Team GB came in third at the 2020 World Championships, but Alistair is still gunning for gold in the mixed and individual competitions.
His stated goal was, “I would love to achieve two gold medals for Great Britain.”
Of course, Team USA will also be a strong contender, having been second in 2017 and 2020 and third in 2018.
The final stretch looks to be an intriguing and exciting showdown.
