The world’s best Paratriathletesheaded to Canada this weekend for the Groupe Copley World Paratriathlon Series Montreal, the third stop of the World Paratriathlon Series in 2019 and also the first race to offer qualification points for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. And under a magnificent sun and warm termperatures in the Gilles Villeneuve Formula 1 circuit in Montreal, Stefan Daniel delighted the local crowds by claiming the victory in the PTS5 male category. UK, with six medals, and Spain with six, had also fantastic performances.

The athletes took the Bassin Olympique for the 750m swim before transitioning out and onto five laps of the Gilles-Villeneuve race track, home of the F1 Grand Prix. The race concluded with one lap of the lake, giving the athletes an iconic setting for the first battle in the road to Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

PTS5

Canada’s Stefan Daniel continued his golden streak to capture his ninth career World Paratriathlon Series title after scrapping it out with his top-two rivals – Germany’s Martin Schulz and Great Britain’s George Peasgood – in the sprint distance format. The race was dominated almost from the first strokes by Peasgood, who after a consistent swim and bike, didn’t have enough left in the tank to resist the last km attack of Daniel in the run.

In the women’s side, the race was dominated by the two British athletes, Claire Cashmore and Lauren Steadman, who were head to head during most of the race in the Giles Villeneuve Formula 1 circuit, but with the silver medallist in the 2018 Paratriathlon World Championships Cashmore taking the final lead in the last meters of the run, to claim her first victory of the season. She was followed in the finish line by her teammate Steadman, with American Grace Norman following in third place.

PTS4
In the PTS4 male class, Frenchman Alexis Hanquinquant showed that he is the one to beat this season, and after his wins in the first two WPS of the season in Yokohama and Milano, he stormed the field in Montreal to grab some really valuable points on the road to Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Behind them, and extenuated Alejandro Sanchez Palomero (ESP) crossed the finish line in second place three minutes behind, with American Jaime Brown claiming the bronce.

In the women category, British Hannah Moore also showed her credentials and smashed the field from beginning to end to claim her second victory of the season, with almost four minutes over the second women in the finish line, American Kelly Elmlinger, while Japanese Mami Tani finished in the third place.

PTS3
A visibly dissapointed Daniel Molina (ESP) crossed the finish line in the first place of the PTS3 class, but realizing that his dream of qualifying for the Olympics classing-up -competing against classes less disabled than his- is not going to be easy. The silver was for Dutch Nico Van Der Burgt, while bronze was for Michael Herter (FRA).

in the women category, gold was for Anna Plotnikova (RUS), racing only herself in this category.

PTS2
The PTS2 category was also dominated by a French, Jules Ribstein, who led the three segments of the race in Montreal to claim the title and stopping the clock in 1h7min25segs, and after a swim that proved to be decisive for the victory. Behind him, Spaniard Lionel Morales claimed the second place, with Dutch Mauritz Morsink claiming the bronze.

In the female category, Allysa Seely (USA) earned her seventh consecutive victory in ITU paratriathlon competitions by claiming victory in the first WPS that counts for the Paralympic Qualification. Seely shared the women’s PTS2 podium with U.S. teammate and training partner Hailey Danz, who took silver, and with Finland’s Liisa Lilja, who finished in third place.

PTVI
The current World Champion in the PTVI Male category, Dave Ellis, was the fastest one on the circuit today in Montreal, making the first statement on the road to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, in which the PTVI male class will make its debut. The British was followed in the finish line by two pairs of Spaniards, Hector Catala, who claimed silver, and Jose Luis Garcia in third place, in one of the most competitives races in the last few months.

In the female category of Visually Impaired athletes, it was the current World Champion Susana Garcia who proved her class and showed that she is the one to beat this season, crossing the finish line in first with more than six minutes over Allison Peasgood (GBR). The third place was for the Canadian Jessica Tuomela, for much delight of the local fans.

PTWC
And also very few surprises in the top places of the PTWC class, with Dutch Jetze Plat dominating the race from the begining to the end, looking as fit as ever on his way to his third World Title and his second Paralympic gold. Behind him finished his teammate Geert Shipper, with the Italian Giovanni Achenza claming the bronze medal.

In the female category, one of the most contested ones in the last few months, the victory was for Australian Emily Tapp, returning to the top position of the podium after a few months away from competition. And with a powerful sprint almost over the finish line, Japanese Wakako Tsuchida claimed the silver medal, while British weelchair athlete Jade Hall finished in the third place.