Para-Triathletes debut in ITU World Triathlon Yokohama
on 14-05-2014 12:28
A squad of fourteen British paratriathletes will compete at Yokohama in Japan this weekend. They feature for the first time in a formal ITU World Triathlon Series for Paratriathlon as the sport prepares to make its debut at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
All six current British world champions make the journey to Yokohama to race on Saturday in Yamashita Park over the sprint distance (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run).
British Paratriathlon Performance Manager, Jonathon Riall, commented on Paratriathlon’s inclusion in the ITU World Triathlon Series. He said: “The event programme for us has changed a lot for us this year and it works very similar to the Olympic programme.”
"Yokohama is a really strategic race for us trying to get our athletes in a good position to get to the Europeans." Jonathon Riall
He added: “Yokohama is a really strategic race for us trying to get our athletes in a good position to get to the Europeans.”
Commenting on the change of competition format he said: “I think this year is about us learning how we work the events and work the points series in order to make us best prepared when we have that twelve month Paralympic qualification period starting next year.”
Athletes will accumulate points during the Series in order to qualify for the Grand Final in Edmonton in August, but once they are there the race will take the format of a stand-alone world championship race.
Another change this year is the classification system, which but has been modified to consist of five, rather than six functional categories. A decision on the classification system for Rio 2016 is expected in July.
The world’s leading Para-Triathletes will be in action during the free-to-view PruHealth World Triathlon London on 31 May. For more details see http://worldtrilondon.com.
ITU World Triathlon Yokohama
Paratriathlon (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run), Saturday 17 May, 06.55-9.10 local time (10.55pm start UK time on Friday 16 May). For updates follow @triathlonlive via Twitter. The Paratriathlon is followed at the same venue by the elite women’s race at 10.06 and the men’s race at 13.01.
British Paratriathletes racing in Yokohama:
Jane Egan, PT1, Glasgow – Tri1 World Champion
Faye McClelland, PT4, Eastbourne – Tri5 World Champion
Lauren Steadman, PT4, Peterborough
Clare Cunningham, PT4,Cambridge
Alison Patrick, PT5, Livingston
Melissa Reid, PT5, Truro – Tri6b World Champion
Phil Hogg, PT1, Derby
Joe Townsend, PT1, Eastbourne
George Peasgood, PT4, Saffron Walden
David Hill, PT4, Bath
Matthew Emmerson, PT4, - Tri5 World Champion
Chris Goodwin, PT5, Hampshire – Tri6a World Champion
Iain Dawson, PT5, Norwich
David Ellis, PT5, Derby – Tri6b World Champion
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