Paratriathletes out in force at Penrith as Rio call looms for 2016
Triathlon Australia, January 10, 2014: A record number of entries have been received for Triathlon Australia’s second National and Oceania Paratriathlon Championships at the Sydney International Regatta Centre, Penrith on Sunday morning as the sport embarks on an exciting new age.
Paratriathlon (750m swim, 20km cycle and 5km run) will debut at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and Australia will host the inaugural World Paratriathlon Series event at Melbourne’s Elwood Beach on Sunday, February 16.
It will be the first event in the 2014 ITU World Paratriathlon Series that will also see events staged in conjunction with the 2014 ITU World Triathlon Series events including Yokohama, London and Chicago.
The sport is also undergoing classification changes which Triathlon Australia’s National Paratriathlon Manager Kathryn Periac explains.
“Sunday’s Australian Championships will still be awarded on the former Tri 1 to Tri 6 classification system although the ITU are introducing a new classification system for Paratriathlon in 2014 in preparation for the sport’s debut at the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016,” Periac said.
“The new classes will be named: Sitting – formerly Tri 1; Vision Impaired and three Standing Classes - Standing 1, Standing 2 and Standing 3.
“Vision Impaired athletes will be classified prior to the World Paratriathlon Event at Elwood next month.
“The biggest fields for Sunday’s racing will be in the Sitting (8 men) and Vision Impaired (6 men, 2 women) categories.”
An exciting morning of racing will feature:
- Australia’s four-time World Champion Bill Chaffey who produced one of the more remarkable come-from-behind performances on the world stage at the ITU London World Championships this year.
- 2013 World Para-Rowing Champion Erik Horrie and Fiji’s Francis Chung. (NSW Wheelchair Sport are lending Francis a handcycle and racing wheelchair so he can compete.)
- 2013 ITU World Championship Age Group co-flag bearer and Paralympic cyclist Lindy Hou in the Vision Impaired category can expect a tough race with newcomer Casey Hyde.
- 2013 Australian Vision Impaired Champion Jonathan Goerlach will be challenged by a number of competitors including duel Paralympic marathon medallist Roy Daniell who is competing in his first National Paratriathlon event. Daniell won a bronze at the Sydney Paralympics and silver in the Athens Paralympics in the marathon.
- 2013 Tri 5 National Champion and 6th at 2013 World Championships Justin Godfrey will have a tight race on his hands with contender Jack Swift making his national debut. Swift was part of the athletics team , running the 400m for Australia at the 2012 London Paralympic Games who was also a competitive swimmer prior to losing his leg in a work accident.
- Former Paralympic cyclist Claire McLean continues her transition to elite paratriathlon. After finishing 5th at the 2013 World Paratriathlon Championships a couple of weeks after representing Australia at the World Para-cycling Championships she is now focussing on paratriathlon, and has been working hard particularly on her swimming leg to move closer to the podium in her class.
- Youngest competitor is 14 year old Matthew Stark who is a National age group record holder in swimming who is coached by former National Paralympic Swimming Head Coach Brendan Keogh and has also won his school cross country despite his mild cerebal palsy. Footnote: Matthew is too young for the Oceania Championships but under TA rules can compete in the Australian Championships.
Issued on behalf of Triathlon Australia
Ian Hanson
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