Home heroes dominate at Para triathlon World Cup

Jones-Hall and Townsend repeat Commonwealth success at Eton Dorney 29 May 2018
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a male Para triathlete celebrates winning the race

Joe Townsend won the first Commonwealth Games gold in Para triathlon at Gold Coast 2018

ⒸGetty Images
By Adam Bailey | For the IPC

Great Britain’s Jade Jones-Hall and Joe Townsend repeated their Commonwealth Games success with victories in front of their home crowd at the ITU (International Triathlon Union) Para Triathlon World Cup in Eton Dorney, Great Britain, on Monday (28 May).

Competing for the first time since winning gold on the Gold Coast, Jones-Hall ensured it was a winning return to competition with victory in the women’s PTWC event. The 22-year-old led from start to finish in Eton Dorney to repeat her Commonwealth Games success on home soil in a time of 1:13:29.

A mechanical issue meant Jones-Hall was not able to apply much pressure on the 20km bike, but the Commonwealth champion was still able to cross the finish line more than five minutes ahead of compatriots Lizzie Tench (1:18:37) and Sophie Taylor (1:21:05), who claimed silver and bronze respectively.

Jones-Hall’s compatriot and fellow Commonwealth champion Joe Townsend continued his good form with victory in the men’s equivalent. Austria’s Florian Brungraber led after the 750m swim, but Townsend passed the Austrian on the bike before extending his lead further on the 5km run to win in a time of 1:00:43.

Brungraber (1:02:15) held off the challenge of France’s Alexandre Paviza (1:02:35) to cross the finish line 20 seconds ahead of the French Para triathlete to claim silver.

Winning return

There was also a successful return to competition for Andy Lewis, who claimed gold in the men’s PTS2 event. The Paralympic, world and European champion was competing in his first triathlon since victory at last year’s Sarasota World Cup, and the 35-year-old picked up where he left off.

Lewis (1:06:37) finished over two minutes ahead of Maurits Morsink (1:08:50) of the Netherlands who claimed silver ahead of France’s Jules Ribstein (1:09:59) who won bronze.

The women’s PTS2 was one of three events not won by a British Para triathlete at Eton Dorney, and it turned out to be one of the closest races of the day. The USA’s Melissa Stockwell led from start to finish, but Italy’s Veronica Yoko Plebani (1:27:44) was never more than a minute behind, crossing the line 46 seconds behind Stockwell (1:26:58).

Peasgood misses out

Germany’s Nora Hansel was the sole competitor in the women’s PTS3 and the German began her season by completing the course in a time of 1:25:23. The men’s PTS5 was the only other event not won by a British Para triathlete, but it certainly wasn’t without George Peasgood trying.

Peasgood led after the swim, but Germany’s Martin Schulz cut the British Para triathlete’s advantage on the bike. The German (57:48) produced a strong run to pass Peasgood and claim gold with a winning margin of one minute, 15 seconds.

Peasgood (59:03) followed up his victory at the Yokohama Word Series with silver, while bronze went to France’s Yannick Bourseaux (1:00:19).

Germany’s Max Gelhaar (1:16:30) was Great Britain’s Ryan Taylor (1:08:36) only challenger in the men’s PTS3. Taylor was nearly two minutes behind Gelhaar after the swim, but a strong bike and run saw the British Para triathlete cross the line nearly eight minutes ahead of the German to seal another victory for Great Britain.

There were also British winners in both the men’s and women’s PTS4 and PTVI events.

Steven Crowley (1:04:04) claimed gold in the men’s PTS4, finishing ahead of Luxembourg’s Joe Kurt (1:05:08) and Austria’s Oliver Dreier (1:05:35), who finished second and third respectively. Hannah Moore was the only competitor in the women’s equivalent as she completed her first international triathlon in a time of 1:15:48.

Back-to-back wins

PTVI world champion Dave Ellis repeated his victory from the Yokohama World Series earlier this month by claiming gold in the men’s PTVI event in Eton Dorney. Ellis pulled away on the swim, before extending his lead further on the bike and run to cross the line in a time of 1:00:43.

Behind Ellis, there was a close battle for the medals with Serbia’s Lazar Filipovic (1:04:02) finishing 47 seconds ahead of Italy’s Maurizio Romeo (1:04:49) to claim silver. Filipovic and Romeo both passed Australia’s Gerrard Gosens on the run as the Australian missed out on a medal by 20 seconds.

There was a successful return to competition for Alison Patrick who won gold in the women’s PTVI event in her first international race for nearly a year. Patrick (1:07:35) finished over nine minutes ahead of France’s Annouck Curzillat (1:16:53), who won silver.

Lauren Steadman led a British one-two in the women’s PTS5 competition to secure Great Britain’s ninth medal of the day. Steadman (1:08:06) finished three minutes ahead of compatriot Claire Cashmore (1:11:07), while bronze went to Sandra Chaleteix of France (1:32:15).

The next leg of the ITU Para Triathlon World Cup takes place in Besancon, France, on 17 June.

Full results from Eton Dorney are available here.