Paralympics 2024: A guide to Para-triathlon at the Paris Games
Americans Hailey Danz and Melissa Stockwell set the pace ahead of Italy's Veronica Yoko Plebani
- Published
Key information
Dates: 1-2 September
Venue: Pont Alexandre III
Gold medals on offer: 11
How does it work?
Para-triathletes compete in three disciplines: 750 metres of swimming, 20km of cycling, followed by a 5km run.
For the cycling section of the race, athletes may use a tandem bicycle, handcycle or bicycle, while a wheelchair may be used for the final 5km run to the finish line.
Rules ensure that athletes who have visual impairments can be assisted by a guide without giving the athletes any unfair disadvantages.
Competitors are classified into six categories, according to their ability with all six men's categories and five women's categories on the Paris programme.
PTWC competitors use a wheelchair in daily life and must use a handcycle on the bike course and a racing wheelchair on the run section.
PTS2, PTS3, PTS4 and PTS5 athletes have physical impairments with PTS2 the most severe up to PTS5.
PTVI athletes are visually impaired or blind.
Which athletes will be competing for GB in Paris?
Dave Ellis and guide Luke Pollard went to Tokyo as hot favourites in the men's PTVI event but a mechanical issue on the bike ended their medal hopes.
Since then, they have been dominant in the division and victory in France would be redemption of sorts for the pair.
GB won gold and bronze in the women's PTS5 event through Lauren Steadman and Claire Cashmore and the rivalry between the two former swimming team-mates continues.
Steadman took a break from the sport in 2022 but returned in 2023 refreshed and ready to challenge again.
And Alison Peasgood, a silver medallist in Rio but fourth in Tokyo, will hope for a medal in the women's PTVI race after giving birth to son Logan in August 2023.
Alison's brother-in-law George Peasgood, a silver medallist in the men's PTS5 in Tokyo, is not competing this time after suffering a serious a brain injury following a bike accident while training in 2022.
Who are the other challengers?
Cashmore and Steadman will have to watch out for Grace Norman, the silver medallist last time, with the American chasing another Paralympic medal.
Dutch star Jetze Plat, who competes in the men's PTWC event, will be seeking a third consecutive Paralympic gold medal after losing out to compatriot Geert Schipper at last year's World Championships in Spain.
And after his win in last year's test event, Frenchman Alexis Hanquinquant, who is one of his nation's flagbearers, will be bidding to retain his men's PTS4 title and will have no shortage of home support on the streets of the capital.
Did you know?
The women's PTWC event in Tokyo provided one of the most dramatic finishes with American Kendall Gretsch overhauling Australian Lauren Parker in the final stages to take gold.
Parker, who was training for an Ironman triathlon in April 2017 when she suffered a serious accident that left her with a damaged spinal cord, has won two World Championships since Tokyo and the pair are set to fight it out again in Paris.
ParalympicsGB Tokyo 2020 medals
Three - one gold (Lauren Steadman), one silver (George Peasgood), one bronze (Claire Cashmore)