Ironman Texas – key focus for BE13

Jul 25, 2018

Bahrain Endurance faces a big weekend of racing at the Ironman North American Championship in Texas. Brent McMahon, David Plese, and team captain His Highness Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa will toe the starting line of their respective divisions.

McMahon and Plese are on the hunt to qualify for the Ironman World Championship, while HH Shaikh Nasser is validating the spot he secured racing the military division at the Ironman Middle East Championship Bahrain.

McMahon says, “Ironman Texas is a new race for me. I like the comfort of competing on courses I’ve done well at but I also love going into a new race with no expectations. I just focus on my personal effort and taking the course and race dynamic as it comes.  No comparisons to previous paces or lap times, just going hard and fast on the day!” The Canadian is one of the world’s fastest Ironman competitors with four sub-8 hour finishes to his name. Can he make it five this weekend?

Bahrain Endurance will also be amply represented across other race distances this weekend. Ben Kanute is on the start list for WTS Bermuda, Javier Gomez is racing the Cannes International Triathlon, and Jan Frodeno will defend his Challenge Taiwan half distance title.

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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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