There will be plenty of British interest for the home crowds around Swansea’s S1A waterfront and city course to support when the world’s best paratriathletes race at the Volvo 2022 World Triathlon Para Series Swansea on Saturday (6 August).

Twelve British athletes will make the most of the opportunity to compete at a home World Triathlon Para Series event, including Paralympic medallists and World, Commonwealth and European champions along with athletes competing in an international race at this level for the first time.

Home hopes for Paralympic medallists

Paralympic medallists George Peasgood and Claire Cashmore will compete in Swansea, almost 12 months since claiming silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the PTS5 races in Tokyo last year.

Peasgood was a double Paralympic medallist in Tokyo after securing bronze in the para-cycling time-trial just a few days after winning paratriathlon silver. Swim, bike and run will be his focus on Saturday when he competes in Swansea where Cashmore will line-up as reigning world and European champion in the women’s PTS5.

It’s now nine Paralympic medals for Cashmore who has won two world titles, two European golds and Paralympic bronze since making the switch to paratriathlon from para-swimming, a sport she won eight Paralympic medals in.

The five-time Paralympian won her fifth British paratriathlon title last month and will be one of the medal favourites in Swansea, although faces strong competition from the USA’s 2016 Paralympic champion Grace Norman.

Commonwealth champions back in action

Less than a week after becoming Commonwealth champions, Dave Ellis and his guide Luke Pollard, and Katie Crowhurst, who will be guided by Grace Hawthorne in Swansea, will be straight back into action after their home heroics in Birmingham.

After a dominant display alongside Pollard in Birmingham, Ellis is now the reigning World, European and Commonwealth champion in the men’s PTVI and will be aiming to continue his gold medal streak with victory in Swansea.

Also competing in the men’s PTVI in South Wales will be Rhys Jones and his guide Rhys James who will have their own homecoming after Jones became the first Welsh paratriathlete to represent Wales at the Commonwealth Games, where the pairing finished fourth.

Oscar Kelly and guide Charlie Harding were fifth in Birmingham after two punctures on the bike and will be back competing in front of a British crowd. They claimed silver at the last World Triathlon Para Series event in Montreal and will be wanting to deliver another good performance after their misfortune on the bike last weekend.

In the women’s event, 18-year-old Katie Crowhurst only competed in her first triathlon 12 months ago and heads to Swansea as Commonwealth champion after winning gold with her guide Jess Fullagar in Birmingham. In Swansea, Crowhurst will be guided by Grace Hawthorne and the women’s PTVI race could deliver one of the most fascinating battles of the day.

Mix of experience for British paratriathletes

There are six British athletes on the Swansea start list who have competed at a Paralympic Games including PTS4 athlete Michael Taylor, who finished eighth in Tokyo. The 26-year-old has connections to South Wales having spent three years in the city of Cardiff whilst studying for his undergraduate degree in physiotherapy.

Currently studying medicine at the University of Bath, Taylor has won multiple medals at international races including silver at last year’s European Championships.

Mel Nicholls has also represented Great Britain at the Paralympics, competing in para-athletics at both London 2012 and Rio 2016. Not one to shy away from a challenge, having set world records when handcycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats and also around the coast of the UK unsupported, Nicholls took-up paratriathlon just before the pandemic after starting training with her local club.

Swansea will be her first international race in the women’s PTWC having only competed in her first triathlon at the British Triathlon Paratri Super Series in Llanelli in May.

The men’s PTWC includes British champion Bret Crossley, a regular medallist at the British Paratriathlon Championships who will compete in his first international race since 2019. Like Crossley, Josh Landmann is also a multiple British Championships medallist who claimed silver at Eton Dorney last month and has also had a number of top-five international finishes.

British champions Finley Jakes (men’s PTS4) and Michael Salisbury (men’s PTS5) will also both be racing in Swansea, their second World Triathlon Para Series event of the year having also competed in Montreal last month.

Jakes secured silver – his first World Triathlon Para Series medal – in the men’s PTS4, while Salisbury finished ninth in what was his first World Triathlon Para Series race.

How to watch

The full start lists for Volvo 2022 World Triathlon Para Series Swansea can be viewed here.

Watch the world’s best paratriathletes compete at Volvo 2022 World Triathlon Para Series Swansea on Saturday 6 August. Come down to Swansea’s SA1 waterfront to watch the racing in-person or watch live on British Triathlon’s YouTube channel.

To find out more about Volvo 2022 World Triathlon Para Series Swansea, visit https://www.britishtriathlon.org/events/major-events/world-triathlon-para-series-swansea