After the races were postponed, GB won 5 medals
There was a late postponement of the para triathlon event yesterday, Sunday 1st September, due to poor water quality in the Seine following several days of rainfall in the French capital.
But today the sun shone and the river passed the test – as did Great Britain’s athletes.
The squad of 14 – 11 athletes and 3 guides – included 6 debutantes and was the country’s largest ever sent to a Games in this sport, which had its Paralympic debut in Rio 2016.
Today they secured five medals for ParalympicsGB in the versatile endurance race of 750m swim, 20k cycle and 5K run. The course took in Paris’s Grand Palais and Arc du Triomphe, with the finish line at Pont Alexandre III.
ParalympicsGB veteran Claire Cashmore, 36, said “I don’t think we’ll ever get as iconic a race as that. On the start line and you were like, wow, look at this backdrop.”
The first medal of the day and Paralympic Title in the PTVI race went to Dave Ellis, 38, with an incredible time of 58 minutes and 41 seconds. It was a redemptive win for the Derbyshire athlete and his guide Luke Pollard, 32, following a DNF in this event in Tokyo when their bike chain broke. Ellis said:
“that was a long time coming obviously, but yeah, so happy with how we did on the day. I think I’ve spent about three years sorting that bike, so it’s pretty much bulletproof.”
“coming off the bike ahead with everyone, I had so much confidence going into the run.”
It was a tough course with cobbles and turns, but Ellis said the huge success of ParalympicGB in this Games so far, with yesterday yielding the highest daily gold tally this century, helped him push through.
“It is inspiring when you’re seeing so many people picking up the gold medals.”
“I guess everyone’s in the same boat, everyone’s got a hard race ahead of them. So it probably suits us if it’s really tough race.”
Guide Luke added: “Dave smashed me in the mouth about 20 metres in as well, which didn’t help. He’s probably the hardest working bloke I know, and it’s just an absolute pleasure to work with him.”
Claire Cashmore echoed Pollard’s sentiments after winning silver herself with a time of 1:05.55 in the Women’s PTS5 event. Cashmore and Ellis are partners of more than 15 years.
“I went across the finish line and I was like, please tell me Dave won. He’s just the most determined, hard-working person I’ve ever met.”
“to be honest, it was just quite a relief to get off the bike. But no, it was brilliant. To cross that finish line in silver was just such a relief.”
“Really happy and incredible to see my family and friends out there. I think I just smiled the whole way”
Cashmore came over to para triathlon ahead of the Tokyo games, where she won the bronze, after finding Paralympic success in the swimming pool from Athens 2004 onwards. Today’s medal brings her total tally across both sports to 10.
Bronze in the PTS5 race went to fellow British triathlete and Tokyo Champion Lauren Steadman, 31, who crossed the finish line at 1:06.45.
“It’s probably one of the trickiest swims we’ve had. I thought, ‘you know I’ll just ride hard’, and then I got onto the run. I knew that there was a big gap to fourth so I just held my pace.
“I’d made a promise to myself that I’d really embrace on it like the last four minutes of the race.”
“It just goes to show on a world stage that you know there’s a variety of disabilities, and everybody rose to the challenge.”
The Women’s PTS4 event also produce double representation on the podium for Great Britain, with Paralympic debutantes Megan Richter, 23, and Hannah Moore, 27, winning gold (1:14.30) and bronze (1:16.01) respectively. Richter said of her win:
“It was so hot, I could feel my legs starting to go but I knew I needed to get to the end.”
“I had a plan just to go quick on the run and that’s what I did. I can’t quite believe it. I’m just in shock and happy and relieved and I just want to say a massive thank you to so many people.
An emotional Moore, said:
“it was such an amazing race. it just means a lot because I feel like it’s been a really difficult journey to get here and a lot of highs and lows. I just can’t believe it’s happened.”
Moore set herself a goal to become a triathlon athlete after suffering from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome for four years, ultimately electing to amputate her foot seven years ago and having to relearn how to walk.
“I just want to say don’t count yourself out because ultimately if you believe you can do something then you can achieve it. I always believed that I could make it here and do well, and to have actually done that on the day makes me so proud.”
Great Britain’s wider results included Alison Peasgood, 36, and Henry Urand, 22, who finished fourth in their respective categories. The triathlon events also saw Michael Taylor finish 6th, Melissa Nicholls in 7th and Finley James in 11th.
By Lauren Lethbridge, ADJ Diploma Student