World dominance continues for Parker

Mar 3, 2020

Lauren Parker has opened her 2020 season with a successful title defense at the Devonport Paratriathlon World Cup on Sunday, backing up her win at the Paratriathlon Oceania Championships in Newcastle this past January.

The reigning PTWC world champion won both races wire-to-wire leading out of the swim, increasing her lead on the bike, and emphatically crossing the finish line four minutes ahead of the rest of the field.

Whether through the choppy swim and cold windy conditions which she encountered in Devonport or in calm waters and a hot and humid climate as in Newcastle, Parker has dominated PTWC racing in the last two years and established herself as one to be reckoned with at every start line. 

While the Australian team will be officially announced in June, Parker’s world championship win and race record bode well for her selection. She is keen to keep improving and become the one to beat at the Tokyo Paralympics.

Parker said, “I’m improving but there’s still a lot of work to do. A lot of improvements can happen before Tokyo and the run is definitely the area that needs the most work.”

Her next race will be the Sarasota-Bradenton ITU Paratriathlon World Cup on March 22, which is set to make history as the first paratriathlon ITU race to offer a professional prize purse.

 

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Lauren Parker Leads Bahrain Victorious 13’s Medal Haul at World Championships

Lauren Parker Leads Bahrain Victorious 13’s Medal Haul at World Championships

Oct 20, 2025

The Bahrain Victorious 13 captured an impressive medal haul at the World Triathlon Championships in Wollongong, Australia this weekend.

Lauren Parker led the campaign, winning two medals including her fifth paratriathlon world title.

The paratriathlon races opened the elite competition on Saturday, where Parker once again proved untouchable. She led from the front, exiting the 750-metre swim first, hammering the 20-kilometre handbike leg with the day’s fastest split, and then powering through the 5-kilometre wheelchair run to cross the line 70 seconds clear of her nearest rival.

Unbeaten all year, Parker’s home victory carried extra meaning as she reclaimed the crown she relinquished last season.

“Everyone was so supportive out there and it definitely made me push a little bit harder,” Parker said post-race. “I wanted to get back on top again and I really worked hard for this one and I’m just happy to get it done.”

She also revealed her next sporting ambition: to qualify for the Winter Paralympic Games, with ongoing training in cross-country skiing and biathlon.

On Sunday, Parker added to her tally with a silver medal in the Para Mixed Relay World Championships, helping the Australian team to a podium finish.

In the men’s elite race, Vasco Vilaça placed fifth to secure the overall World Triathlon Championship Series bronze medal, returning to the world podium for the first time since earning silver at the one-day championship in Hamburg in 2020.

Emma Lombardi also delivered a standout performance, claiming bronze in the women’s race – her best finish of the season – and vaulting seven places to 11th overall in the Series standings. She swam into the pointy end on the 1.5-kilometre swim alongside compatriot Cassandre Beaugrand, then attacked on the 40-kilometre bike to lead onto the 10-kilometre run where she battled against the eventual winner and series champion Lisa Tertsch and a hard-charging Bianca Seregni to hold onto the final spot on the podium.

Beaugrand, who had stayed in the lead pack throughout the swim and bike, was forced to withdraw on the run to conclude her season ranked seventh overall.

The results in Wollongong wrap up the Bahrain Victorious 13’s short course season. The team now turns its attention to middle distance racing with the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, Spain and Ironman 70.3 Bahrain on the horizon, as well as the T100 Tour’s final two stops in Dubai and Qatar.

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