The paratriathlon gets the 2017 ITU World Championships under way in Rotterdam with a 9am dive into choppy water for the PTS5 athletes, including Great Britain’s Rio Paralympian, George Peasgood. NOTE all start times have been amended due to poor weather conditions.
A full preview of the Paratriathlon, including wave start times is HERE, but note weather conditions may dictate a slightly later start, which will push back all start times for the rest of the day. The other two elite races are the women’s junior and men’s U23 events. Great Britain has strong teams racing in both events.
The junior women are due to start at 4pm local time (3pm in the UK), although that could be pushed back by one hour. Kate Waugh, Olivia Mathias and Sophie Alden are all due to start with Erin Wallace withdrawn. They’re up against defending champion, Taylor Knibb (USA) in a huge field of 72 athletes on a tight and technical course.
Waugh, 18, won the ETU junior title in June and Mathias, 18, was fifth in that event. Alden, 19, a second-year human biology student at Loughborough University is making her championship debut after a strong season.
Gordon Benson goes for his last shot at the U23 title along with Leeds team mates Callum Johnson and Sam Dickinson at 6pm local time (5pm in the UK). Defending champion, Jorik Van Egdom (NED) will hope that home soil will give him an advantage, although conditions could possibly not be more different to Cozumel last year where he won in sweltering heat rather than the wind, rain and cold in Rotterdam this weekend.
Johnson, who just graduated with a first class degree, said: “We’re all set to go. It should be challenging. There’s lots of slippy corners, tram lines, some drain covers, there’s a bit of everything. These are our conditions, they’re what we’re used to, I reckon we’ll cope really well.”
The men’s junior, women’s U23 and both senior elite races take place on Saturday followed by amateur races on Sunday. The British Age Group team comprises of 363 athletes in the standard distance event and 374 in the sprint, including BBC Breakfast presenter, Louise Minchin.
Schedule and Great Britain team athletes:
Paratriathlon; Friday 15 September, 10am-1pm; 750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run:
PTWC: Joe Townsend, Jade Jones
PTS2: Andy Lewis, Fran Brown
PTS3: Ryan Taylor
PTS4: Steve Crowley
PTS5: George Peasgood, Lauren Steadman, Claire Cashmore
PTVI: Dave Ellis (Carl Shaw Guide), Melissa Reid (Hazel McLeod Guide)
Junior women; Friday 15 September, 4pm-5pm; 750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run:
Kate Waugh, Olivia Mathias, Sophie Alden
U23 Men; Friday 15 September, 6pm-8pm; 1500m swim, 40km bike, 10km run:
Gordon Benson, Sam Dickinson, Calum Johnson
Complete start lists HERE
