The World Triathlon Para Cup Round-up
- Niamh Adams
- Aug 23, 2023
- 5 min read
Over the weekend we got to see some of the world's top Para-triathletes take to the start line, in Paris, to compete in the World Triathlon Para Cup.
The triathlon should have been a 750m swim, a 20km bike ride, and a 5km run course. However, due to discrepancies, with the water testing in the Seine, it was revised to a duathlon. This meant athletes on Saturday took to the line for a run-bike-run format. Which consisted of a 2.5km run, followed by an 18.5km bike ride and then a final 5km of the run course. We saw all six classes race in Paris, so here is your round-up:
PTVI - (Those given a classification as PTVI 1 start the race first and have a time advantage to cater for the fact that they are competing without any sight.)
In the PTVI class, we saw GB athlete Dave Ellis and his guide Luke Pollard take the gold with an impressive time of 53:39, but they weren’t the first to cross the finish line with Kyle Coon (USA) and his guide hitting the blue carpet a lap too early… But that wasn’t the only drama in the men’s race with the guide of Hector Catala Laparra’s (ESP) losing his shoe right at the start which meant they found themselves immediately off pace. In silver position Sam Harding (AUS) crossed the line with a time of 55:13 and taking bronze place, for this class, was another GB athlete Owen Carvens with a 55:17 time.
For the women we saw the German athlete Anja Renner take gold, despite being fairly new to the sport she showcased her huge potential in this class with a time of 1:03:16. Annouch Curzillat (FRA) came in second (1:04:06) and it was her effort on the bike that made all the difference to her race from a clean transition, followed by the fastest split by almost a minute. However, she was closely followed by our bronze athlete Francesca Tarentello who finished her run just 27 seconds behind Curzillat with a time of 1:04:33.
PTWC - (athletes with limitations in lower (PTWC2) and upper limbs (PTWC1), using a handcycle for the cycling segment and a racing chair for the running segment.)
In the PTWC class, Letze Plat (NED) claimed gold with a time of 52:18. This was following a fast transition at T1 which gave him a small lead, but then we saw him put in the effort on the bike to take his lead up to 90 seconds ahead of his Dutch teammate, Geert Schipper. We then saw Plat pass the race leader Giovanni Achenza (ITA) before he relaxed over the last part into that top position.
He was then followed by Schipper, who took second place with a time of 53:12 and then in bronze position we saw Florian Bungraber (AUT) cross the line with a time of 53:53. In the women’s competition, we saw Lauren Parker from Australia who while in the opening stages kept a steady pace, once she hit the bike flew off to take a 30-second lead. No one could catch her in the final run and therefore finished in the gold position with an impressive time of 59:14. We then saw Kendall Gretsch (USA) take silver with a time of just over an hour, 1:00:44, and then Jessica Ferreira from Brazil finished in bronze with a time of 1:03:31.
PTS5 - (PTS5 triathletes are affected to a low degree in on leg, a moderate level in both forearms, a high degree in one foot and ankle, or have absence of limbs.)
The PTS5 category, saw the US athlete Chris Hammer take gold with a time of 53:49. In Silver the Brazilian Athlete, Ronan Cardeiro, finish with a time of 54:18 and in bronze Stefan Daniel (CAN) followed with a time of 54:47.
We did see the German athlete, Martin Schulz, out in front taking control before he miscounted the number of laps and flew through T2, while the rest of the athletes transitioned for the final run.
No disasters in the women’s race though, with another US athlete taking the gold, Grace Norman, with a time of 59:26. She was followed over three minutes later by Claire Cashmore (GBR) with a time of 1:02:50 and then in bronze we saw Kamylle Frenette (CAN) cross the line with a 1:03:21 time.
PTS4 - (PTS4 triathletes have coordination affected at a low-level on one side, at a high degree in one arm, or the absence of limbs.)
The men’s race in the PTS4 category was a battle of two French athletes. Alexis Hanqunquant is known to be untouchable in this race so even though he took gold, with a time of 55:38 his teammate Baele finished just seven seconds later with a time of 55:45 giving him the silver medal and possibly Hanqunquant a run for his money. While in bronze we saw the Japanese athlete Hideki Uda finish with a 58:13 time.
In the women’s, the US athlete, Kelly Elmlinger, dominated the entire race and even finished over 6 minutes (1:06:13) before any of her rivals which gave her the gold medal. In silver we saw Marta Frances Gomez (ESP) after an impressive final 5km with a time of 1:12:47 and in bronze we got to see just three seconds later Elke Van Engelen (NED) finish in 1:12:50.
PTS3 - (triathletes have moderately affected coordination on one side, or the absence of limbs.)
In the PTS3 men’s race, we had another mistake, when Hwang Tae Kim from Korea rode an extra bike lap which unfortunately took him out of the challenge. But, this left us with an exciting finish as Faniel Molina (ESP) and Cendric Denuziere (FRA), battelled it out for that gold position, within the end only 17 seconds in it Molina took gold with a time of 1:05:32, and Denuziere take silver with a 1:05:49 time. This was followed just under two minutes later by Nico Van Der Burgt (NED) with a 1:07:14 giving him the bronze.
In the women’s race, the French athlete Elise Marc won Gold with a 1:07:45 time and Sanne Koopman (NED) take the silver with a 1:23:35 time.
PTS2 - (Triathletes have coordination affected at a low level across the whole body, moderately down one side, or the absence of limbs.)
Finally, in the PTS2 race, Maurits Morsink (NED) achieved gold, with a time of 1:00:24, after he took the lead in the first run with a pace that no one could match. The race was on for silver with just a second between the French, Geoffrey Wersey, and the US, Mohamed Lahna, athletes. Ultimately, Wersey finished in second with a time of 1:03:17, and Lahna in third with a time of 1:03:18.
In the women’s we saw Anu Francis (FRA) and Hailey Danz (USA) battle it out for that gold position both pulled away from Veronica Plebani (ITA), on the bike. But, when it came to that final 5km run Francis took the lead and finished in 1:11:33, followed by Danz with a 1:12:13 time and then in bronze Plebani with a 1:15:52 time.
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