Brit Champs: Paratri action

Britain’s World and European champion Paratriathletes raced at the biggest ever British Championships in Liverpool alongside elite youth, junior and senior athletes as well as Age-Group athletes from around the country.

A 750m swim in Queen’s and Wapping Docks was followed by a closed-roads 20km city centre cycle course and a 5km run around Liverpool docks, including running past the Echo Arena and the Royal Liver Building.

Derby’s Phil Hogg won the Tri1 category in only his second ever triathlon, his first was at the European Championships in Turkey last month, which he also won.

Commenting on the back-to-back wins he said: “It’s pretty amazing I can’t believe it myself, it’s an amazing feeling.”

Hogg enjoyed the support of the large crowds in Liverpool, adding; “There were lots and lots of people around the course because we’re all racing together, it’s brought so many more people out and it’s a good show case for the para athletes to show what we’re all about.”

Winning the same Tri1 category, which involves doing the bike section on a hand bike and the run in a racing chair, Scotland’s Jane Egan said: “I think that’s three national titles, four European and four world for me now, it’s not bad! The support was fantastic today.”

The women’s Tri4 category has become extremely competitive within Britain and today saw European Champion, Lauren Steadman win the British title despite going slightly off course during the bike leg.

Also very competitive is the visually impaired and blind category, Tri6. In the men’s race Dave Ellis had to overcome the early leader and reigning world champion, Iain Dawson to win the British title. European Champion, Melissa Read, showed her class to win the women’s race.

Afterwards, Ellis, who was guided by Luke Watson and is a relative newcomer to the UK Sport Lottery Funded British squad, said: “It was unexpected. We had a really bad swim but we biked quite well and made it up on the run. I’m going to get on with some training for the World Championships now.”

Britain’s reigning world champions Matt Emmerson and Steve Judge also won their respective categories today.

With a major focus on September’s World Championships in London, several of Europe’s top paratriathletes chose to come to Liverpool, with the Hungarians and Italian’s particularly successful.

The British Paratriathlon Championships will be televised along with the elite and Age-Group races on Sunday 28 July at 7am on Channel 4. A condensed version of the programme is available HERE via the British Triathlon YouTube Channel, http://www.youtube.com/BritishTriathlon.

Paratriathlon National Champions

Men

Tri1, Phil Hogg, Derby Triathlon Club, 1:07:49

Tri3, Steve Judge, Sheffield Triathlon Club, 1:12:49

Tri5, Matthew Emmerson, Deal Triathlon Club, 1:10:09

Tri6a, Chris Goodwin, Southampton Triathlon Club, 1:06:18

Tri6b, Dave Ellis, Loughborough Triathlon RC, 1:03:35

Women

Tri1, Jane Egan, Fusion Triathlon Club, 1:27:28

Tri3, Eleni Papadopoulos, Manchester Triathlon Club, 1:28:05

Tri4, Lauren Steadman, 1:14:44

Tri6b, Melissa Reid, Gyllyngvase Surf Life Saving, 1:11:46

Matt Baird Editor of Cycling Plus magazine

About

Matt is a regular contributor to 220 Triathlon, having joined the magazine in 2008. He’s raced everything from super-sprint to Ironman, duathlons and off-road triathlons, and can regularly be seen on the roads and trails around Bristol. Matt is the author of Triathlon! from Aurum Press and is now the editor of Cycling Plus magazine.