History of triathlon at the Olympics:

A relatively new addition to the Olympics programme, New Zealand has already claimed three medals since the sport debuted at Sydney in 200.

While they left Australia empty-handed, Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty completed the gold-silver quinella in Athens four years later.

Docherty added a bronze in Beijing in 2008, but this time around New Zealand's hopes are pinned on leading woman triathlete Andrea Hewitt.

Ranked up with the world's best, Hewitt will be seeking to claim a first medal for a New Zealand woman in the 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run event.

Her eighth placing in Beijing is the best result for a Kiwi woman.

Australia is the leading nation with four medals but hosts Great Britain, led by the Brownlee brothers Alistair and Jonny and Helen Jenkins, have become the country to beat at the Games and secure their first Olympic medal in the sport.