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IOC adds Mixed Relays to Tokyo 2020 schedule

One of the most spectator-friendly formats of triathlon has made its way onto the event schedule at the next Olympics.

The Mixed Relay triathlon has officially made it onto the schedule for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The International Olympic Committee announced Friday, June 9th that the event is one of several to have been added including Basketball 3×3, Archery Mixed Team event, 4×400 mixed relays in athletics, BMX freestyle Park, Madison in Cycling, team events in fencing, mixed team event in judo, mixed doubles in table tennis and 4x100m medley mixed relay in swimming.

This news is huge for the sport of triathlon, specifically ITU racing, because it gives athletes another chance to earn an Olympic medal. The event includes teams of four — two men and two women — who each complete a short-course triathlon (300m swim, 8km bike, 2km run) before tagging off to their teammate to take over. With its fast and unpredictable format, it’s a fun event for the athletes and it is one of the most spectator-friendly formats of the sport.

Marisol Casado, President of ITU and IOC Member, said: “We are absolutely delighted with this decision. We’ve been pushing for the Mixed Relays to be included in the Programme for quite a long time, as it is an event that gives the sport something very important: a sense of team building. But most important, is an event that demonstrates that women and men can compete together but both are equally important to the success of the team