Paris set the stage and the world’s best para triathletes certainly put on a show. Across eleven superb races, there were a litany of stories to track and highlight, from redemption arcs to shock victories and to simply glorious performances in the French capital. In this article, we will take on the challenge of narrowing down to just five of the main talking points from the action after a day of para triathlon racing that will live long in the memory.
Home heroes
A party is never really a party if the host isn’t having a good time. Luckily, the French team were buoyed by some superlative performances in the para triathlon events as Alexis Hanquinquant took gold in the PTS4 event and Jules Ribstein powered to the win in the PTS2 category.
Ribstein was a vision of calm across his race. He did not have the fastest split in any of the swim, bike or run but rather was the second quickest in the first two disciplines and then the third quickest over the 5km run. Such consistency proved to be the bedrock upon which he built his success. The 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 world champion never really looked like being beaten on his Paralympic debut and he brought the home crowd to their feet.
As for Hanquinquant, what is there left to say? Over the years, all kinds of adjectives have been hurled around to describe the now two-time Paralympic champion and Paris was a true coronation of a remarkable athlete. He was the fastest male PTS5 swimmer but it was on the bike that he did the most damage, putting 77 seconds into his closest rival. From there, it was plain sailing as Hanquinquant cruised to yet another triumph. As with Ribstein, he was one of France’s bankers for Paralympic gold this year and he did not disappoint.
Stars and stripes
While the home team had plenty to celebrate, they did not actually come away with the most gold medals across the para triathlon events. That honour went to the American team as they gobbled up a hat-trick of golds. Hailey Danz had a day she will never forget in the women’s PTS2 race as she turned the tables on the defending Paralympic champion (and her compatriot) Allysa Seely. Danz really dropped the hammer on the bike to separate herself from the field.
Speaking of the hammer (and forgive me for this pun), Chris Hammer unleashed the best performance of his career to strike gold in the men’s PTS5 class. Prior to Paris, Hammer had enjoyed success at the top level with a solitary world title coming in 2021. With luminaries like Martin Schulz (GER), the defending Paralympic champion, and Stefan Daniel (CAN), the 2022 world champion, to contend with, though, Hammer was up against a stacked field. After losing time in the swim, a field-leading bike split brought him back into contention. Then, a monstrous 15:59 5km run split carried him to the gold.
Grace Norman was the third and final American gold medallist in the para triathlon events as the 2016 Paralympic champion made amends for her defeat in Tokyo three years ago. Of her PTS5 silver in Tokyo, Norman said, “I did not like giving that up in Tokyo - I was fired up for these Games.” She certainly raced as if she had a point to prove. She spent much of the day in a close battle with British rivals Claire Cashmore and Lauren Steadman, the latter of whom beat her in Tokyo, but once the run arrived Norman’s resolve proved indestructible. Her victory thus provided the icing on the cake for a generally excellent American showing.
Redemption time
Norman was not the only athlete to enjoy a redemption of sorts from Tokyo. Lauren Parker (AUS) converted her Tokyo silver into Paris gold with a storming performance in the women’s PTWC class. Parker has been close to unstoppable in the years since Tokyo. Indeed, Tokyo was the last time she lost an individual race internationally and she arrived in Paris as the top ranked para triathlete in the world. Nevertheless, she still had to rise to the moment yesterday. Nothing, though, was going to hold her back this time from claiming Paralympic gold.
Meanwhile, Dave Ellis (GBR) has had a couple of bruising Paralympic experiences previously. As a para swimmer, he had a previous best finish of 6th at the Games before switching to para triathlon. In Tokyo, he then did not finish the men’s PTVI race. As a mark of Ellis’ dominance, since September 2019 he has failed to win only two international races. The first came from his DNF in Tokyo and the second was when he “only” managed a silver medal at the 2023 European Championships. Like Parker, then, he has been a supreme force in para triathlon but needed this Paralympic title to crown his achievements. After winning yesterday by 84 seconds, it is fair to say he did just that.
Age is but a number
A Paralympic gold medal is always an incredible achievement. Sometimes, though, there can be elements beyond the medal that are just as interesting. Such was the case in the men’s PTS3 race as Daniel Molina (ESP) compiled a brilliant display to claim the gold medal. Molina was born in 1974 and will be turning 50 this month. As a result, he was the oldest among the para triathlon gold medallists.
Molina has enjoyed a long and illustrious sporting career. Two decades ago, at the 2004 Paralympic Games, he competed as a para swimmer, although it was in Paris that he claimed his first Games medal. In the time since, he has won world titles in para triathlon in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023. After so long at the top, there are no signs of Molina slowing down.
Don’t sleep on the next generation
At the other end of the age scale, Megan Richter (GBR) was the youngest gold medallist courtesy of her win in the women’s PTS4 class. Born in 2000, Richter is at the vanguard of a new generation of para triathletes that made a splash in Paris.
Francesca Tarantello (ITA) nabbed the silver in the women’s PTVI race. Tarantello was born in 2002 and also won the world title last year. In the men’s PTVI race, Owen Cravens (USA) managed to come away with 4th place. Being born in 2003, he was the youngest athlete in the race.
Henry Urand (GBR) likewise earned a 4th place finish on his Games debut in para triathlon in the PTS3 class. He was born in 2002 and is only just getting started at the top level. Over in the PTS5 category, Bence Mocsari (HUN) and Jack Howell (AUS) earned 5th and 7th, respectively, having been born in 2000 and 2004. Any one of this cohort could go on to join Richter as a Paralympic champion at the next Games in Los Angeles and their positive starts to their careers have not gone unnoticed.
