High Performance: Montreal & Holten Round Up
Weekend round up of high performance racing on the weekend of 29th & 30th of June at the World Triathlon Para Series Montreal and Europe Triathlon Premium Cup Holten.
2024 World Triathlon Para Series Montreal Canada
The Paris Paralympic qualification period came to a close with one final opportunity for athletes to secure a slot at the 2024 World Triathlon Para Series Montreal Canada.
Team Ireland were strongly represented by Tom Williamson competing in the PTS5 category, Donnacha McCarthy and guide Sean Husband in the PTVI men’s race and Chloe MacCombe and guide Catherine Sands in the PTVI womens category. This was the last chance for athletes to gain points for the Paris Paralympic Games and as a result we saw the World’s top athletes from across the globe making the journey to race. The race saw world class performances across all tha categories.
Chloe MacCombe and Catherine Sands continued their consistent form crossing the line in third. This is Chloe’s third World Triathlon Para Series podium of 2024, leaving Chloe and Catherine ranked 3rd in the Paralympic Rankings at the end of the qualification period.
In the PTS5 men’s category Tom Williamson demonstrated his continued improvement racing internationally and once again delivered a dominant swim, exiting the water with a 47 second lead. Tom worked hard to keep in touch with the front of the race, with the World ranked number one and three athletes chasing hard after the swim. Williamson crossed the line in fifth position, securing his highest placing at a World Triathlon Para series race. The placing clearly demonstrated his improvement racing internationally against world leading athletes.
Donnacha McCarthy and Sean Husband produced a strong swim to exit the water in fourth, however after receiving a penalty on the bike segment, subsequently did not go on to finish the race.
The Men’s PTS5 Paris Paralympic Games qualification rankings remain largely unchanged after the weekend’s race in Montreal, with Tom Williamson currently in 11th position while in the Men’s PTVI Donnacha McCarthy and his guide Sean Husband remain in joint 12th position.
Europe Triathlon Premium Cup Holten
Elizabeth Carr and Jonathan Oakey were back in international action last weekend at the 2024 Europe Triathlon Premium Cup Holten.
While the Women’s Elite race was won by the current World Ranked number 31, Jolie Vermeylen, a strong performance from Carr saw her place 14th in a distinguished field.
Carr exited the lake swim in the middle of the second pack of athletes, joining a large chasing pack on the fast and flat bike course. Leaving T2 behind, Carr produced a determined 5km run over the technical and hilly circuit to run herself into the top 15.
Speaking after the race she said, it was “A tough and honest first European Cup for me with a very strong field, but happy to get the legs moving over sprint distance again in the build towards bigger races this summer.”
Meanwhile, Jonathan Oakey crossed the finish line in 30th place in the Elite Men’s race. Oakey produced a solid all-round race to place within a minute of the top 10 athletes, stating it was “A hard race in a tough field, hopefully I’ll get it right in Cork in 2 weeks.”
Jude Williams was also in action in the 2024 Europe Triathlon Junior Cup Holten, gaining valuable international race experience for the future.
Both Carr and Oakey will return to Ireland for their next international outing, lining up for the 2024 Europe Triathlon Cup Cork in two weeks time.
They’ll be joined by Ralf Bodamer, Russell White, Luke McCarron, and Ian Manthey in the Men’s Elite field, along with Erin McConnell in the Women’s Elite field.
