Paratriathletes all class in Devonport
In pristine Tasmanian conditions, ten new Australian Paratriathlon Champions were crowned at yesterday’s Devonport Triathlon. More than 20 paratriathletes stepped up to the starting line and turned it on for the National Championships in Australia’s biggest paratriathlon event in 12 months. Clint P
| In pristine Tasmanian conditions, ten new Australian Paratriathlon Champions were crowned at yesterday’s Devonport Triathlon. More than 20 paratriathletes stepped up to the starting line and turned it on for the National Championships in Australia’s biggest paratriathlon event in 12 months. Clint Pickin found another gear in Devonport, taking out the PTS4 Mens class in flying form. Putting together a strong race in clean Devonport conditions, Pickin said that he was thrilled with his performance. “It’s pristine conditions, ocean is dead flat and glassy, so I’m super stoked today,” Pickin said. “The body felt pretty good coming off racing last week in Newcastle so I can’t complain. I had an okay swim, a really good ride and an awesome run.” “Liam and I battle at every race, we’re good mates and we race hard. Everything’s left out there on the racecourse. So, when it comes to working out how your race is gonna go, we set up what we’re going to do, try and stick to our race plan and what we’ve got set on paper and just do our thing.” After a mechanical hindered his performance in Newcastle last weekend, Clint was searching for a strong result in Devonport today. With competitor Liam Twomey hot on his heels throughout the race, Pickin delivered across all three disciplines to take the Australian title. Reigning PTWC World Champion Lauren Parker took her racing to another level yesterday afternoon, wiping more than five minutes off her 2019 Devonport performance to take home the Women’s PTWC title. Her Commonwealth Games teammates did their best to keep the pressure on, with Emily Tapp securing second and Sara Tait in third. Gerrad Gosens and Katie Kelly shone in the PTVI classes, with their years of experience and skill on show throughout the afternoon’s events. Despite only being guided by local Tasmanian Hayden Armstrong for just over a year, Gosens was in sync with Armstrong as they took out the Men’s PTVI class, ahead of Trevor Murphy in second. Kelly and Guide Briarna Silk gave a dominating performance in the Women’s PTVI class, executing strongly across the swim, bike and run to secure the Australian Paratriathlon Championship. While Maggie Sandles and Guide Kate Bramley looked determined all morning as they gave their best in their second National Paratriathlon appearance. The afternoon’s events also featuring the crowning of the first Australian Paratriathlon Champions within the Athletes with an Intellectual Disability (ID) wave. Cameron Marshall took home the ID Men’s wave with a solid performance, marked by a hard earnt finish line celebration. Harry Mezger kept on the pace to take home second place, with Jack Stobie rounding out the Men’s podium. Georgia Powning added Australian Paratriathlon Champion to her growing list of Australian Championship titles with a clear win in the Women’s ID wave. Executing a well-rounded race, Powning claimed the ID Women’s title in 01:24:33. Chloe Turner and Montana Whiteley completed the podium with second and third, respectively. The addition of the ID category at the Australian Paratriathlon Championships sees Triathlon Australia provide more opportunities for competition and inclusion at a National level. Nic Beveridge (PTWC Men), Anu Francis (PTS2 Women), Jeremy Peacock (PTS3 Men), and Andrew Wilkinson (PTS5 Men) also put together good performances to take home the Australian titles in their respective classes. PTVI Men 1st – Gerrad Gosens 2nd – Trevor Murphy PTVI Women 1st – Katie Kelly 2nd – Maggie Sandles PTWC Men 1st – Nic Beveridge PTWC Women 1st – Lauren Parker 2nd – Emily Tapp 3rd – Sara Tait PTS2 Women 1st – Anu Francis PTS3 Men 1st – Jeremy Peacock PTS4 Men 1st – Clint Pickin 2nd – Liam Twomey PTS5 Men 1st – Andrew Wilkinson ID Men 1st – Cameron Marshall 2nd – Harry Mezger 3rd – Jack Stobie ID Women 1st – Georgia Powning 2nd – Chloe Turner 3rd – Montana Whiteley |
