Tom Williamson Claims European Bronze
Williamson Claims European Bronze as Irish Paratriathletes Impress in Tarragona.
Ireland’s paratriathlon team delivered a set of encouraging performances at the Europe Triathlon Para Championships in Tarragona, Spain on Sunday, highlighted by a third consecutive European Championship medal for Tom Williamson.
Williamson Secures Third Consecutive European Championship Bronze
Tom Williamson continued his remarkable consistency on the international stage, claiming bronze in the Men’s PTS5 category to secure his third successive European Championship medal. Tom earned the bronze in a race won by Hungary’s Bence Mocsari, with Portugal’s Filipe Marques in second.
The result adds another major championship podium to Williamson’s growing collection and demonstrates his resilience following a challenging winter period, as Tom outlines:
“I’m delighted to come away with another European Championship medal. It was a tough race out there today, but I’m proud of how I stayed composed and gave everything right to the line.”
“To medal at three championships in a row is something I’m really proud of. It shows consistency, but also the work that has gone in behind the scenes, especially after a difficult winter. I never take the opportunity to race for Ireland for granted, so to stand on the podium again means a lot.”
“Next up for me is getting back into Scotland, recover and build again to WTPS Montreal in a couple of weeks.”
Encouraging Return for Judith MacCombe & Eimear Nicholls
Judith MacCombe and Eimear Nicholls marked their return to international competition with a strong fourth-place finish in the Women’s PTVI category, after an extended period on the sidelines for Judith due to injury.
The performance was an encouraging step in their comeback and provides a solid foundation as the pair builds towards the remainder of the season. Judith reflects on their return:
“It was great to be back on the race course after a long and tough off season and a long return from injury. It was just great to be back racing again!”
“Looking forward to building back more fitness over the next few races!”
MacCombe and Speers Show Promise in New Partnership
Chloe MacCombe and new guide Jemma Speers finished fifth in the Women’s PTVI category in what was their first race together as a pairing.
Having only met a week before the championships, the duo produced an impressive performance and will take significant confidence from their debut outing. Commenting after their race, Chloe said:
“Fifth place at European Championships is phenomenal for a scratch pairing!”
“The race was more about getting on the start line again, and remembering how much of an honour it is to wear the Irish trisuit and race for my country. It’s been a tough year for myself mentally and I am so grateful for all the support I have received and continue to receive.”
“Myself and Jemma are both very pleased with our first performance together and can’t wait to see what’s next for us as we develop as a pairing.”
McCarthy and Husband Take Valuable Lessons from Tarragona
In the Men’s PTVI race, Donnacha McCarthy and guide Sean Husband finished ninth after a race that did not unfold as they had hoped.
While disappointed with the result, the pair will look to use the experience as motivation heading into their upcoming races. After their race, Donnacha said:
“It was a difficult day in the office, unfortunately we weren’t able to deliver the performance we know we’re capable of, and the result was disappointing. Racing doesn’t always go to plan, but we’ll take the lessons from this one and focus on the next opportunity.”
The performances in Tarragona provide plenty of positives for the Irish paratriathlon squad as attention now turns to upcoming World Triathlon Para Series events including Montreal, where the athletes will continue their preparations towards future championship goals. As Performance Director Gary Ryan reflects:
“Tom Williamson continues to grow in stature as World Class Athlete and building the consistency that is required by winning a third European medal in a row is a remarkable achievement for any Irish Sportsperson.”
“Overall I think the team can be really pleased with the Championships. The context is that a lot of the athletes are coming back from injury or have had very disrupted seasons so far, so the results are encouraging. The fact that we see a great deal of positive signs comes from the hard work of the athletes, their coaches and support teams and the wonderful support we get from Sport NI and Sport Ireland, as well as the great support team we have in Triathlon Ireland, led by Russell White. The Europeans are a stepping stone towards LA – and we can take a lot of positives and a lot of learning from it.”
