Olympic Games Triathlon Mixed Relay explained: What is it and how does it work as Great Britain target golden repeat at Paris 2024
The triathlon mixed relay made its Olympic Games debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, as Great Britain thrilled a global audience with a terrific victory. And now the fast and furious race format is coming to the streets of Paris 2024 as the stars of the individual Olympic triathlon events team up with their compatriots to battle it out for the gold.
The first Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships was held in the United States in 2009 and the discipline has grown in popularity ever since.Â
The following year the event debuted at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, before the World Championships moved to Hamburg in 2014.Â
Since then, the German city has hosted the annual mixed relay event, and in 2016 a huge 250,000-strong crowd turned out to watch the race.Â
Hamburg – the long-term home of the Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships
The event was announced as a new Olympic discipline back in 2017, along with several other mixed-gender events in athletics, swimming, table tennis.Â
A one-year wait courtesy of the global pandemic only heightened the expectation, and the mixed triathlon relay format didn’t fail to disappoint at the Tokyo Olympics. Now a fan favourite on the triathlon race calendar, here’s your guide to what to expect when you tune in to the Paris 2024 Olympics mixed relay triathlon on August 5, 2024.
How does it work? Format and rules
Between 2003 and 2007, separate triathlons for male and female athletes were held at the World Championships, but the mixed relay format has now been added into the mix as an important international event.
The mixed relay teams at the Olympics will be made up of two men and two women, with each individual completing swim, run and bike legs before tagging the next athlete.
The one big change since Tokyo concerns the order in which the athletes compete. In Japan it was woman-man-woman-man, but since then the format has been changed to man-woman-man-woman.
The mixed relay will see each athlete complete a super-sprint triathlon each. Distances can vary slightly between races, but at Paris 2024 the athletes are set to tick off a 300m swim, 5.8km bike ride and a 1.8km run. Each leg will typically last around 20 minutes.
The whole race will usually be concluded in less than 90 minutes, making it a fast-paced and exciting affair.
The mixed relay will be the third and final triathlon race held at the Paris 2024 Games, after both the women’s race and the men’s race took place on Wednesday July 31, following a controversial postponement of the men’s race due to water quality issues in the River Seine.
The athletes (water quality permitting) will swim in the River Seine before transitioning to an iconic course through the streets of the French capital.
Should the water quality be sub-standard on August 5 there is a plan for reserve days. However, if the water quality remains sub-standard again, the race would be changed to duathlon format.
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Who has qualified for the Mixed Relay?
A total of 16 nations have qualified for the Mixed Relay triathlon at Paris 2024 They are:
Great Britain
France
United States
Spain
New Zealand
Brazil
Netherlands
Belgium
Germany
Australia
Austria
Portugal
Mexico
Norway
Switzerland
Italy
Initial start lists will be posted on Saturday August 3, and any amendments/changes must be submitted by 0545 local time on August 5, just over two hours ahead of go time in the French capital.
Mixed relay analysis and picks
We will have all the bases covered for you ahead of the big race in Paris on August 5.
Our guru John Levison will analyse all the leading contenders in the race for gold and settle on his podium selections.
When is the Olympic triathlon mixed relay?
The mixed relay starts at 0800 local Paris time on Monday August 5, 2024. That is 0700 UK, 0200 Eastern Standard Time or 11pm PST on Sunday August 4 if you are watching on the West Coast.
You will of course have seen all the furore about the water quality in the River Seine – and that could again be a factor here. If the water quality is not good enough for the swim to take place on the scheduled day, it will be delayed by one day to Tuesday August 6.
If the water quality is still not good enough to swim on August 6, the race will be downgraded to duathlon format (run/bike/run). That is exactly what happened at the Paris Test Event last August.
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