Para Mixed Relay closed the curtain on exciting World Triathlon Para Championships

Team USA was crowned as champion in the Para Mixed Relay; three American women also won individual titles 25 Sep 2023

Team USA wins Para Mixed Relay in Pontevedra, Spain

ⒸWorld Triathlon

By World Triathlon and IPC

The World Triathlon Para Championships closed on Sunday with the sport’s second ever Para Mixed Relay open event, which was the perfect ending after a breathless day of individual titles and celebrations.

The race followed on from a successful debut in Abu Dhabi last November, six nation teams - USA (2), France, Brazil, Australia and Spain - and two world teams that also included athletes from Mexico and Japan all taking to the start line.

Each of the athletes had to complete a 125m swim, 3.5km bike and 780m run (910m for the last leg) before tagging their teammate, the key rule regarding team composition being that the wheelchair athletes had to go out first.

The experienced Italian Giovanni Achenza H1 gave Team World II a strong start with USA’s Kendall Gretsch, Moana Francis (FRA) and Jessica Ferreira (BRA) also flying.

Owen Cravens B3 powered through his turn to clock the fastest time of the day and the only one under 11 minutes to put USA II in control, handing off to the new PTS5 World Champion Grace Norman to consolidate their lead.

Pierre Antoine-Baele (FRA) and Sam Harding B3 (AUS) put together three good disciplines to keep their teams in the hunt, Japan’s Hideki Uda continuing the good work for Team World I.

The fourth and final leg saw a brilliant comeback from Team Brazil’s Ronan Cordeiro to take the bronze, Alexis Hanquinquant helping Team France to the silver, but it was Team USA newcomer Carson Clough who brought home the gold for Team USA.

Paralympic Games inclusion is a possibility for the event for Los Angeles 2028.

Personal titles

On Saturday, many recognized Paralympians gave their all on the events, chasing fresh world titles. Some of them even did it knowing that they would go again the next day.

Para athletes across six women’s categories, which included a 750m swim, 20km bike, and 5km run, faced a tough course that tested the very best.

Francesca Tarantello (Italy) won in PTVI, Lauren Parker (Australia) in PTWC, Hailey Danz (USA) in PTS2, Elise Marc (France) in PTS3, Kelly Elmlinger (USA) in PTS4, Norman (USA) in PTS5.

Elise Marc (France) won the title in PTS3. — Elise Marc (France) won the world title in PTS3. @Wagner Araujo

Meanwhile, the men also did not have an easy ride.

Dave Ellis (Great Britain) won in PTVI, Geert Schipper (Netherlands) in PTWC, Jules Ribstein (France) in PTS2, Daniel Molina (Spain) in PTS3, Alexis Hanquinquant (France) in PTS4 and Martin Schulz (Germany) in PTS5.