Australia’s Para-Triathletes Ready for a Scorcher on Montreal’s F1 Track

Eleven Aussies, including New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship athlete Lauren Parker, will be vying for their first Paralympic Qualifying Rankings points in the Montreal race, which will be followed a week later by the Swansea WTPS round.

This weekend’s action will unfold on Montreal’s famed Gilles Villeneuve Formula One track and Triathlon Australia’s Paralympic Performance Manager, Kyle Burns knows the heat will be on.

“It has been very warm here this week and athletes will need to race smart to the conditions and prepare well,” said Burns.

“It will be coming off some strong results in Yokohama with all of our medal winners from that event lining up again.

“The group is looking to build the foundations knowing that there are even bigger goals ahead, but they all look forward to the challenge that this race will present.”

Australia will have a strong presentation in Montreal and at next week’s WTPS Swansea, which will pit the Aussies against the world’s best before moving into the Paris Test Event (August 22-26) and World Championships in Spain (September 22-24).

The green and gold brigade will be represented by a strong spread across many of the categories from Lauren Parker and her fellow Paralympians David Bryant, Nic Beveridge and Sam Harding to Queensland rookie Grace Brimelow who is making her WTPS debut alongside six other experienced para-triathletes in between.

Glen Jarvis, Justin Godfrey, Jeremy Peacock, Liam Twomey, Jack Howell, and Caroline Baird round out the Australian team.

Three-time world champion, Parker, will once again lead the charge. with the 34-year-old in remarkable form – chasing her 11^th consecutive victory in Montreal.

​Fresh from her spectacular UCI para-cycling Road World Cup debut in May, she chalked up another para-triathlon win at WTPS Yokohama as she eyes a unique place in Paralympic history – places on both the para-triathlon and para-cycling teams for next year’s Paris Games.

​“Considering we weren’t sure how she would pull up post the cycling, to then produce a world class performance in Yokohama was great for her confidence,” said coach Dan Atkins.

​“Once she got home, we took the normal easier week, but Lauren wanted to get straight back into routine, especially focusing on her swimming as she missed swim time due to the extra travel.

“But her swim has come back up with some little test sets and we knew what she needed to hit to be back on task with her ability in the water.”

Parker will once again go head-to-head with American Kendall Gretsch – the last women to beat her back at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

“As always with Lauren she just loves hard racing and being out front having athletes chasing her and she knows that America’s Paralympic champion Kendall Gretsch will especially be racing hard to chase her down,” said Atkins.

“Post Yokohama I expect Kendall and a few of the other competitors to be better but I really think Lauren is on track for a couple of great races in Montreal and Swansea.”

Parker has focussed on improving her overall power output which is most definitely improving her overall triathlon and a scary thought for her opposition.

“Lauren knows exactly what to do in training to get the best out of her racing,” said Atkins. “Her diligence is at the highest standard – the level that Lauren brings to her everyday training is methodical and is always about being better.

“Whether that be with her equipment, her session planning or her travel plans which are all set out to maximise her performance.

“So, everything we plan and we do this together, is well thought out and always about both cycling and triathlon.”

TEAM AUS – WTPS MONTREAL

Nic Beveridge (PTWC)
Glen Jarvis (PTS2)
Justin Godfrey (PTS3)
Jeremy Peacock (PTS4)
Liam Twomey (PTS4)
David Bryant (PTS5)
Jack Howell (PTS5)
Sam Harding (PTVI)
Lauren Parker (PTWC)
Grace Brimelow (PTS2)
Caroline Baird (PTVI)

Story courtesy of Triathlon Australia

Photo: Triathlon World