In the International Triathlon Union’s world rankings last year, Jorgensen, True and Zaferes nailed down first, third and fifth place, respectively. Women, by contrast, have won America’s only Olympic triathlon medal, a bronze by Susan Williams in 2004. And in each of the other three previous Olympic Games featuring triathlon, an American woman has finished fourth. The Olympic triathlon is a roughly two-hour-long event—a nearly mile-long open-water swim, 25-mile bike race and 6.2-mile run—whose outcome can be influenced by weather, course conditions and equipment malfunctions. Zaferes, at 27 the youngest of the three U.S. contenders, won her first World Triathlon Series gold medal in July.

Source: Wall Street Journal August 19, 2016 21:10 UTC