Lauren Parker led the charge for Bahrain Victorious 13 this weekend, claiming gold in Yokohama for her 16th consecutive individual paratriathlon win over the past four years.
Fresh off her triumphs at the UCI Paracycling World Cup in Ostend, Belgium, the multiple paratriathlon world champion showcased her ability to change gears and dominated across swim, bike and run to beat her World Para Championship Series competitors by more than a minute to the finish tape on Saturday morning. This is a major feat on its own, but is also a dress rehearsal for her Paralympic ambitions targeting gold in paratriathlon and then two gold medals in paracycling just three days later.
Kate Waugh finished as the top British athlete in the women’s event at the World Triathlon Championship Series. She emerged from the 1.5-kilometre swim with the 16th-fastest swim, but had the fastest swim-to-bike transition to start the cycle leg with the leaders. Strong bike legs kept her in contention as the lead pack reeled in repeated breakaways; she was also one of the first competitors out onto the 10-kilometre run before ultimately finishing 10th.
In the men’s race, Vincent Luis was second out of the water, while Henri Schoeman was about 30 seconds adrift. The packs soon merged into a large blob, Schoeman a casualty of the congestion as a collision at 45 kilometres per hour ended his race. Luis stayed out of trouble, finishing 9th overall and second Frenchman.
This coming weekend, Schoeman bounces back to race at the World Triathlon Mixed Relay Olympic Qualification Event in Huatulco, Mexico where South Africa are on a campaign to qualify their team and gain another spot for a female athlete in Paris.
