By Rory Carroll
LOS ANGELES, Sept 23 (Reuters) – Los Angeles 2028 organizers unveiled preliminary triathlon courses for the Olympic and Paralympic Games on Wednesday, setting the events in Venice Beach with a shared finish line overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
The routes, which remain subject to operational testing, will use a central transition area near the beach, allowing spectators to watch athletes move between swimming, cycling and running segments.
Organizers said the generally flat cycling and running courses were designed to encourage fast racing.
The women’s individual triathlon at the Games is scheduled for July 15 and will be the first event in which LA28 medals are awarded. The men’s individual race will follow the next day with the mixed relay set for July 20.
In the individual events, competitors begin with a 1.5 km ocean swim, entering the water directly from the beach rather than from a pontoon. The swim will comprise a 1,000m lap, followed by a brief beach run and a second 500m lap.
Athletes will then complete eight 5 km cycling laps, including stretches on the Venice Beach path and city streets, before a four-lap, 10 km run that will cross bridges in the Venice Canals area.
The mixed relay will feature teams of four athletes competing in alternating women-men-women-men order. Each athlete will swim 350m, cycle 6.6 km and run 1.6 km before handing off to a teammate.
Paralympic individual races, scheduled for August 18-19, 2028, will include a 750 m swim starting from a barge beyond the breakwater, followed by a 20 km bike course and a 5 km run. Events will include athletes across six sport classes.
LA28 said the courses will be tested during a World Triathlon T50 Triathlon World Tour event in Venice from July 16-18, 2027.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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