The 2023 World Triathlon Para Series
kicked off with outstanding performances in Devonport, Australia. The field
featured Paralympic champions, world champions and rising para triathlon stars,
putting their all on the line, ahead of a huge season, that includes Paris 2024
Paralympic qualification commencing in July this year.
The coast of Tasmania set the scene
for the season opener with 48 of the world’s best para triathletes ready to get
the season started. The PTWC para triathletes were the first to line up for
action, in the sprint distance race (750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run). It was
a tight battle as Australia’s Nic Beveridge led the field out of the water with
an outstanding swim and it wasn’t long before USA’s Howie Sanborn and Japan’s
Jumpei Kimura applied pressure to catch the Australian Paralympian on the bike.
Out on the sprint-distance run course, Sanborn proved the strongest and took
the tape, to earn his first WTPS gold medal. Kimura claimed silver and
Beveridge finished the day with the bronze medal.
“I’m super stoked right now. I kept
the power high on the bike and really ripped through some of those corners. I
had a strong run today.
“I didn’t make the Tokyo team and it
hurt a lot. So definitely have eyes on Paris right now and hoping to mix it up
with the big boys. Not just go to Paris, but try to get on the podium there,”
said Sanborn.
Current world champion and Paralympic
silver medallist Lauren Parker (AUS) displayed a stunning performance in the
women’s PTWC category to win gold at a home race in Devonport, Australia.
“It’s a great way to start the
season. Yes, obviously the goal is Paris. I am definitely building and focusing
on that. I try to learn from every race and get to know what I need to work on
in the next 18 months and just build up to it. I love racing here in Devonport
and it was great out there today,” said Parker.
In the men’s PTS5 category
Australia’s David Bryant, who has been based in Devonport ahead of the first
WTPS of the season, was thrilled to come away with his first gold medal at this
level of racing. Fellow compatriot Jack Howell earned silver with an impressive
race set-up and Frenchman Antoine Besse took bronze.
“This is where it all started for
para triathlon for me, way back in 2018 and to have my family for it, it’s just
awesome, we’ve had awesome 10 days in Tasmania. Exploring the beautiful food
and wine and everything else that it has to offer.
“It just means so much to have my
first start World Triathlon Para Series win. It’s a deceivingly, tricky course.
“My plan is to race in Yokohama next
and then take the family over to Spain, base myself there for a couple of
months and hopefully towards Paralympic qualification races,” said Bryant.
The PTVI athletes were faced with
some tough wet weather race conditions and it was Commonwealth Games medallist
Sam Harding (AUS) and Guide Luke Harvey who recovered quickly from a bike crash
to power down the blue carpet and earn WTPS gold. Serbia’s Lazar Filipovic and
Guide Strahinja Travic were able to hang on to cross the finish line in second
and claim the silver medal and Spain’s Jose Luis Garcia Serrano earned bronze
in the men’s PTVI class.
“Awesome to get the fold. We’ll now
prepare for the qualifying period so we will race in (WTPS) Montreal and then
head over to the test event in Paris,” said Harding.
In the women’s PTVI class, the battle
was between Para Triathlon newcomers Maggie Sandles and Guide Felicity Cradick
and New Zealand’s Maria Williams and Guide Melissa Moon. Sandals brought home
the gold medal with a breakthrough performance on the World Triathlon Para
Series stage. Williams had a strong race to earn silver for New Zealand.
“Paris is definitely the plan, it’s
going to be a hard effort to get there but we will try,” said Sandals.
In the women’s PTS2 category Japan’s
Yukako Hata, who hadn’t raced since the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, came away
with a golden victory in Devonport. Spain’s Rakel Mateo Uriarte took silver and
Australia’s Anu Francis finished on the podium with the bronze medal.
“I had so much fun, this was my first
race since the Tokyo Paralympic Games so I am so happy to win today,” said
Hata.
Australia’s Sally Pilbeam looked so
strong out on the race course today and gave it everything on the run to come
away with a win on home soil. USA’s Emma Meyers and Kelly Worrell finished with
silver and bronze respectively.
“I am really happy with that and so
happy to get the win. I am very, very fortunate that I’m no longer working full
time so I can call myself a full-time athlete now so that’s great. I am really
enjoying getting back into the training space again and really focusing on it,”
said Pilbeam.
Australia’s Jeremy Peacock was
thrilled with his swim, bike and run para triathlon performance to claim gold
in the first race of the 2023 WTPS season. Peacock was elated as he came down
the blue carpet to take the tape in a stacked field. USA’s Carson Clough had a
brilliant race and was awarded silver and Japan’s Hideki Uda claimed bronze
today in Devonport.
“I am actually a little bit surprised
by that. I came into this not really knowing where I was, obviously being the
first race of the season. You just don’t know where you are.”
“I mean I had a good off-season, a
good summer but to come away with the win in the first race, to start the
season on home soil, as well friends and family around, you couldn’t wish for
anything better, it’s just great stuff,” said Peacock.
USA’s Mohamed Lahna led the men’s
PTS2 category and was too strong for any of the field to catch. Lahna powered
to the finish to strike gold in Australia. Fellow countryman Adam Popp was
awarded silver and Australia’s Glen Jarvis displayed fine form to take bronze.
“I am so happy to get this win. I
will go back home after this and spend time with the family and then it’s all
about building towards Paralympic qualification in July,” said Lahna.
Australia’s Justin Godfrey earned a
confidence-boosting gold medal in the men’s PTS3 class as the Australian works
towards his goal of the Paralympic qualification races which commence in July.
Germany’s Bjorn Maas was awarded silver.
“It was brilliant. I haven’t seen my
time but I think it’s showing now (the hard work) and I am feeling really good
and staying positive for Paris (2024),” Godfrey said.
Review the full 2023 WTPS Devonport
results online.
The action in Devonport was streamed
in full with live commentary on TriathlonLive.tv (replay the race on-demand).
The Series moves to Yokohama where the Elite para triathletes will battle it
out again on the world stage.
ABOUT WORLD TRIATHLON
World Triathlon is the international
governing body for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of triathlon and all
related multisport disciplines around the world, including duathlon, aquathlon,
cross triathlon and winter triathlon. Triathlon made its Olympic debut in
Sydney 2000, with a third medal event, the Mixed Team Relay, added to the
programme at Tokyo 2020, while para triathlon was first added to the Paralympic
programme at Rio 2016. World Triathlon is proudly committed to the development
of the sport worldwide, with inclusion, equality, sustainability and
transparency at our core as we seek to help triathletes at all levels of the
sport to be extraordinary.
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