GB wins PT5 silver and bronze in Rio

On paratriathlon’s Paralympic debut, ParalympicGB has collected four medals, the latest coming courtesy of a phenomenal PT5 event, where Alison Patrick and Hazel Smith bagged silver ahead of compatriots Melissa Reid and guide Nicole Walters for bronze. The victors were the Aussie pairing of Katie Kelly and triathlon legend Michellie Jones.

Exiting T1 after the 750m swim, Reid/Walters were lying in second place behind the Dutch duo of Hakker/van Vliet, but ahead of teammates Patrick/Smith in third. But by the end of the first lap of the four-lap 22km bike, Reid/Walters had taken the lead, with the Dutch in-between the two Brit couples. Chasing in fourth was the formidable pairing of Kelly/Jones (AUS), but only 13secs separated the octet.

After the second lap, Reid/Walters were still in the lead, but Patrick/Smith had moved into silver and Kelly/Jones into bronze-medal position. In a game of constant leapfrog, it was the turn of Kelly/Jones at the front of the race after lap three, with Reid/Walters in second, Patrick/Smith in third.

At the start of the 5km run, the positions remained the same, the Aussie duo extending their lead of the chasing Brits with every step. But by the end of the first lap, Patrick/Smith had slotted into second ahead of Reid/Walters. With over a minute cushion over fourth place, the top three positions remained the same until the very end, as Copacabana welcomed in their last three medallists.

For full results head here and for a full report and exclusive imagery from today’s and yesterday’s men’s events, check out the November issue of 220, on sale 11 October.

PIC CREDIT: David Pearce

Liz Barrett 220 Deputy Editor

About

220 deputy editor Liz Barrett started work on the magazine in 2007 as staff writer. Since then, she’s reported live from almost every major triathlon across the globe, including the Ironman World Championships, 70.3 Worlds, six ITU Worlds, Challenge Roth, the 2014 and 2022 Commonwealths, the London and Paris Olympics and the Rio Paralympics, to name but a few. Name a pro and chances are she’ll have interviewed them, so, unsurprisingly, she’s our go-to pro-athlete expert on the team. When not covering races, you’ll find her whipping words into finely-crafted shape for both the magazine and website.