Home > Feature

Olympic preview: What to know about triathlon at Rio 2016

rio_teste_event_5wa_3998

The day of the Opening Ceremonies is here, and we’re just under two weeks out from the men’s triathlon race in Rio (and just over two weeks for the women’s race).

Here’s everything you need to know about triathlon at Rio 2016.

Men’s race: 11:00, August 18th 

Women’s race: 11:00, August 20th

The course

It’s no secret the water conditions in Rio are less than ideal for swimming, but triathlon’s swim is set to take place off Copacabana Beach regardless. The 1.5 km loop will have a beach start and from what we saw at last year’s test event, we can expect more currents than at most ITU events. It’ll be as important as ever for athletes to get out into that front pack.

A challenging bike leg awaits athletes out of T1. The eight-lap course has one steep hill that will no doubt challenge even the strongest of cyclists but there’s also a technical descent that will keep things interesting.

rio_teste_event_5wa_3786

Athletes will then take off on a four-loop, 10 km run course. It’s a mostly flat course which means we’ll be sure to see some fast splits, even though temperatures could very well rise above 32 degrees Celsius at this time of year.

Check out our interesting facts about this Games’ Olympic triathletes.

How to watch

The Games take place in the GMT-3 time zone, which is one hour ahead of those watching in Ontario, Quebec, parts of Nunavut and on the east coast of the United States. The Olympics will be streamed live, for free, courtesy of CBC. Only viewers in Canada will be able to watch CBC’s coverage as other countries have exclusive rights for the Games.

Mobile users can watch the action live on the CBC App for Rio 2016 or online at CBC Olympics. Those with cable can watch the events live on CBC as well as partner channels including TSN, TSN2, Sportsnet and Sportsnet ONE.

World Triathlon will also be providing live coverage through their various social media channels throughout the men’s and women’s triathlon races.

Here’s how to find them:

Facebook – Live chats with athletes, videos, photos, recaps and more.
Twitter – Stats, graphics, race information, photos & clips
Triathlonlive twitter – Reserved for minute by minute live race action on August 18 & 20.
Instagram – Spectacular pics & short clips from around Rio.
YouTube – Video features to get you pumped for the Olympics
Pinterest – Training tips, race information, photos, and news from around the globe.
Linkedin – News from around the globe on triathlon
Snapchat @worldtriathlon – For snaps from location.