LONDON (Reuters) -A much-anticipated and wide-ranging report on the current state and future of triathlon was published on Friday, with World Triathlon President Antonio Fernandez Arimany describing it as a "guide for transformation."

The swim-bike-run sport that emerged from the United States in the 1970s, gained worldwide attention via the iconic Ironman distance and joined the Olympics in 2000 with a standardised 1500 metres swim-40km bike-10km run format has always had something of a piecemeal feel.

Differing governing bodies, new and changing formats and struggles for commercial and TV backing have long dogged it as the professional side of the sport sought to thrive and be attractive to the elite while maintaining the appeal and availability of the grassroots aspect against declining participation numbers.

In the U.S. participation has dropped by an estimated 40% from its peak around 15 years ago, with the decline setting in long before COVID caused so much disruption to the sport.

All these issues and many more were covered by the report, developed in partnership with Deloitte, published on Friday.

World Triathlon issued a statement alongside it, listing some of the key elements to emerge:

* Creating a unified commercial ecosystem, with a new entity to drive partnerships, revenue and innovation.

* Elevating event experience with festival-style formats and immersive digital touchpoints.

* Expanding fan and athlete engagement beyond elite performance, leveraging content, data and storytelling.

* Investing in mass participation and emerging formats to build long-term sustainability.

CHALLENGING ROLE

The report also concluded that World Triathlon's role had "proved challenging". "As a governing body, an international federation and an event organiser, its responsibilities are broad and sometimes conflicting," it said.

"This makes it harder to act with the commercial focus and agility required to fuel growth and excitement in the sport’s next chapter.

"Triathlon, once a booming trend with mass amateur appeal and bucket-list allure, has now matured.

"The challenge is not competition from other sports alone, but the need to reimagine triathlon’s value proposition for a new era—retaining loyal athletes while attracting the next generation of fans and participants.

"With that maturity comes the urgent need to adapt, reenergise its base, and capture new attention in a crowded field of fitness and competition."

"This is more than a report - it is a guide for transformation," said Spaniard Fernandez Arimany, who was elected president last October.

"Triathlon must evolve to thrive. We will embrace the future with purpose, clarity, and renewed ambition to make our sport stronger, more visible, and more inclusive.”

Bernard Sinnaeve, Director at Deloitte Sports, added: “Triathlon is a sport with global relevance and deep cultural value. But to meet the expectations of today’s athletes, fans, and partners, it must become more agile, collaborative, and commercially smart. This report lays the foundation to do exactly that.”

One of the areas highlighted was the possibility of the T100(km) distance (2km swim, 80km bike, 18km run) being included in the Olympics.

Sam Renouf, CEO of the Professional Triathletes Organisation that launched the event in January 2024, said: "The potential inclusion of the T100 distance in the Olympic program is exciting and could significantly enhance the sport's global appeal, offering a more accessible and spectator-friendly format. We are eager to explore how we can work with World Triathlon to make this a reality."

(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Ken Ferris)