There was double delight in Japan where Claire Cashmore and Dave Ellis guided by Luke Pollard secured golds for Great Britain as Yokohama hosted World Triathlon Para Series and World Triathlon Championship Series racing.
World Triathlon Para Series
Late on Friday night in the UK, the World Triathlon Para Series (WTPS) racing got underway in Japan, with Cashmore (Women’s PTS5), Ellis and Pollard (Men’s PTVI) representing Great Britain alongside Oscar Kelly and Jack Hutchens (Men’s PTVI) and Michael Taylor (PTS4).
In PTVI racing for athletes with a visual impairment, there is a staggered start depending on the classification of the impairment. B1 (blind) athletes start first, before B2 and 3 (visually impaired) athletes which include both British duos starting 02:41 behind.
Ellis and Pollard were the first of the B2/3 athletes to complete the swim and having started the bike leg were reeling in the three B1 athletes ahead of them. They were able to pick these off as the bike leg unfolded and assumed the lead midway through.
The current World Champions held this lead despite the efforts of French athlete Thibaut Rigaudeau and his guide, who tried to stay close to them but fell away during the latter stages of the run to see the British pair at yet another victory to their impressive tally.
Also in the Men’s PTVI race, Yokohama was the first time that Hutchens had guided Kelly and they came home in fourth, 16 seconds away from a place on the podium. Having had a strong swim, which was second only to their compatriots in time, they were able to gain places across the bike and run legs to earn a well-fought for fourth place.
Cashmore’s gold in the Women’s PTS5 came off the back of strong swim and bike performances that put her in the lead coming through T2 and onto the run.
She’d battled with Canadian Kamylle Frenette throughout before losing the lead in the closing stages of the run, however a mistake from Frenette saw her miss the turn to the finish chute and presented Cashmore with the win as she followed the correct course to the tape.
Taylor finished sixth in the Men’s PTS4 after putting in a customarily good swim leg to come out of the water second behind the unstoppable Alexis Hanquinquant of France.
In what was a close battle, Taylor saw himself ride well to be sixth coming through T2 and held his own on the run to maintain that position to the finish.
The World Triathlon Para Series returns to the UK in June as Swansea welcomes the best paratriathletes in the world to the city on Saturday 22 June.
World Triathlon Championship Series
Following on from the WTPS racing was the turn of the World Triathlon Championship Series, where Great Britain was represented by Kate Waugh, Vicky Holland, Olivia Mathias and Sian Rainsley in the women’s race, and Jonny Brownlee and Hugo Milner in the men’s race.
In the women’s race, Mathias was the lead Brit coming out of the water as she exited in 9th amongst a train of athletes that saw Rainsley follow her two seconds back in 13th ahead of Waugh in 16th. Holland was 42nd, 25 seconds behind Waugh.
At the end of the first lap of nine, Waugh, Mathias and Rainsley were all in the lead bike pack of 18 athletes. As they came to the second half of the bike leg, this group had dropped to 16 and had established a lead of 58 seconds to the first chase pack. Holland was in the second pack a further 38 seconds down the road.
French athlete Emma Lombardi took an early lead on the run, with Waugh going with her at the outset. Across the 10km run, the athletes started to pulse through stringing out and bunching across the streets of Yokohama.
The strong field started to show as the laps ticked off. At the start of the final lap, French athlete Leonie Periault had a 35 second lead over American Taylor Knibb and compatriot Lombardi, whilst Waugh was the highest placed Brit in 10th.
She would maintain this position to the finish behind winner Periault, whilst Holland had battled her way through the field to be the second Brit over the line in 18th. Mathias crossed the line in 40th with Rainsley recording a DNF.
In the men’s race, Brownlee was the first of the two Brits out of the swim as he was placed 30th, 19 seconds off the lead. Milner was nine seconds further back.
After negotiating the opening laps of the bike and settling into position, a large lead pack which included Brownlee was riding well together in a 33-athlete train. By the time they made it to the penultimate bike lap, nearly the entire field was riding together meaning it would become a 10km foot-race to the finish.
Following a large crash which strung out and affect the 50 athletes riding together, there was a slight reduction in the number entering T2 together, with Brownlee 17th.
The pair had differing fortunes on the run as they finished the race in consecutive positions. Brownlee finished in 38th with Milner 18 seconds back in 39th having run through a number of places. Morgan Pearson (USA) took the win.
The next leg of the World Triathlon Championship Series sees Cagliari take centre stage on Saturday 25 August.
Photo Credit - Tommy Zaferes/World Triathlon
