Chaffey Digs Deep To Win Fourth World Championship Gold

Posted in Other News

Triathlon Australia, September 13, 2013: LONDON. A Paralympian who spent five months in hospital and nine months away from training after an horrific truck accident in 2005 has today staged the most remarkable come-from-behind victory of his career to win the Australian Triathlon team’s second gold medal of the ITU World Championships in London.

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Bill Chaffey, a 37-year-old Gold Coast father of two, produced an extraordinary last five kilometres to snatch his fourth world Paratriathlon title. His previous being 2009, 2011, 2012.

It followed yesterday’s stunning gold medal performance by petite NSW red-head Charlotte McShane in the women’s Under 23 world ITU Triathlon title.

Strapped into his wheelchair, Chaffey charged out of the doom and gloom of a dismal, rainy afternoon in Hyde Park to hit the front for the first time in the race just 200 metres from the finish line.

After a 750m swim in the Serpentine a 20 kilometre handcycle around the lake and 5km wheelchair “run” in the Park, Chaffey scored the sweetest of victories in the newest of sports added to the 2016 Paralympics.

Competing in the Tri 1 classification for wheelchair athletes, Triathlon Australia’s only AIS Paratriathlete, went into the final transition from handcycle to wheelchair over three minutes behind leader, Dutchman Jetze Plat – a bronze medallist in the World handcycle championships just a month ago.

As far as the commentators and spectators who braved the dismal weather were concerned it was a case of “put down your glasses” – the “Flying Dutchman” Plat had the gold medal in his pocket.

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The only person in the Park who thought he could still win was Chaffey – although even he admitted there were stages when he thought “I can’t win this.”

“My coach Brian King was calling out times throughout the race and Jetze was getting further and further ahead,” said Chaffey.

“There were stages when I thought it was all over and you start to argue with yourself, ‘Ok I’ll settle for second’ and then you say to yourself ‘no, no you won’t you big sook, get up and have a go.

“It’s the sweetest victory ever and definitely the deepest I’ve ever had to dig to win a race. To come out behind in the swim, I’ve never done that before and to have so much time put into me on the bike,

“He was a mile ahead and I was getting further and further behind. I really had to push and to get him that close to the line was just incredible.

“Every time my arms hit the wheels, it was burning, it was chaffing and it was tearing my arms but with about two kilometres to go I could see an orange colour up ahead of me and I just thought I can get this guy I really can and I pushed it.

“On the final turn I could see him push, push, push and stop and I thought if I hammer this I can get him.

“This is just the sweetest victory, to come from behind and to pinch it at the finish like that was just unbelievable, you can never say die.”

Chaffey admitted the victory would give him even more inspiration to hang in for the next three years in the build up to Rio.

Another Paratriathlete with his sights set on Rio, 28-year-old rookie Brant Garvey from Albany in WA who was only born with only one leg, finished a close-up sixth in the Tri 2 classification at only his second Paratriathlon.

“I used to be a swimmer and when they announced that Paratriathlon was in the next Paralympics I thought I’d give it a go and I’m over the moon with that performance – I can’t believe it actually…I’ve never been on a bike before,” said Garvey.

Meanwhile earlier in the day it was a case of braving the weather, staying on your bike but having the time of your life as more than 200 Australian triathletes conquered the Sprint Distance Age Group Triathlon World Championships in and around the Park.

Port Melbourne’s Carl Fannon kept his younger rivals at bay to take gold in the 35-39 Years age group in a tight finish from Chris Stuart (GBR) and Lars Dick-Nielsen (DEN) with just seven seconds between the three of them.

NSW pair Elyse Foster from Wilton south west of Sydney and Emma Jeffcoat, a Dee Why surf lifesaver were both ecstatic to finish with surprise silver and bronze medals in the 16-19 years age group as was Louisa Abram – mother of Elite triathlete Felicity Abram, who like so many of the age-groupers was just happy to stay upright.

“I was pleased to stay on the bike – it was a case of slow, steady and cautious,” said Louisa, who was cheered on to a top 10 finish by Felicity, sporting two moon boots for her injured heals and boyfriend, Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee, in between his commitments at the official press conference.

“The last thing I wanted to do was fall off the bike - I’m not used to these wet roads,” said Louisa, who spoke for all of the competitors who braved the tricky conditions.

In other medal winning performances, there were three “Bronzed Aussies” with Ray Hunt adding to his Aquathlon bronze with another in the 70-74 year age group triathlon; Ann Blatchford (bronze in the 65-69 Years) and Doris Trueman (bronze in the 60-65 Years).

The first of the two Elite ITU Triathlon World Championships will be decided in the morning here with two-time ITU Champion Emma Moffatt, joined on the start line by fellow London Olympian Emma Jackson and former ITU World Junior Champion Ashleigh Gentle.

The men, Aaron Royle, Ryan Bailie, Dan Wilson and Cameron Good get there turn against the Brownlee brothers Alistair and Jonathan and Spain’s Javier Gomez on Sunday, as the rain pelts down, in what looks like being an even wetter course for the world’s best.

Issued on behalf of Triathlon Australia…..

Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia
Managing Director