Oceania Triathlon

A packed calendar of Para triathlon racing will get underway this weekend with the first World Triathlon Para Cup of the season. While many will already be gearing up for the Paralympic Games in Paris, there will be plenty of Para triathlon action to track in the coming months.

8 March – WORLD TRIATHLON PARA CUP ABU DHABI
As was the case in 2023, Abu Dhabi will host the first World Para Cup of the season. Look for the likes of Florian Brungraber H2 (AUT, PTWC) to match his victory from last year’s event as he attempts to set an early marker ahead of the Paralympics in September. Eva María Moral Pedrero H1 (ESP, PTWC) will be another defending gold medallist from the 2023 edition to keep tabs on.

15 March – WORLD TRIATHLON PARA SERIES DEVONPORT
A week later, the World Triathlon Para Series will spark into life. Devonport (AUS) returns after hosting a stop in both 2023 and 2020, and the pressure will be on the home team.
Jack Howell (AUS, PTS5) and David Bryant (AUS, PTS5) will likely carry a lot of the men’s hopes for the Australian contingent in Devonport. Last year, they delivered a barnstorming clash in which Bryant came out victorious. At the recent Oceania Para-triathlon Championships, though, Howell took the win. The battle of the Australians could therefore light up the first round of the World Para Series.

21 April – WORLD TRIATHLON PARA CUP YENISEHIR
The World Para Cup action will then return in Yenisehir (TUR). It will be the first occasion in which the Turkish city has hosted a Para triathlon event at the world level. After successfully welcoming Europe Cup races, it will no doubt deliver another exciting stop on the Para Cup circuit.

11 May – WORLD TRIATHLON PARA SERIES YOKOHAMA
Yokohama will represent the first instance of the 2024 campaign in which the World Para Series shares the stage with the World Triathlon Championship Series. Among the talents likely to start, Jumpei Kimura (JPN, PTWC) could be one to produce some fireworks in Yokohama. Last season, he powered to victory at the same race with a spellbinding performance.

A quartet of World Para Cups will then carry the season through May and June with stops in Samarkand (UZB), Vigo (ESP), Taranto (ITA) and Besancon (FRA).

18 MAY – WORLD TRIATHLON PARA CUP SAMARKAND
Samarkand will be a new stop for the world’s best Para triathletes, site of the Asia Para triathlon Championships in 2023. Saidakbar Goziev (UZB, PTS2) struck gold on his international debut in there last season and could therefore be primed for a big performance when the Para Cup arrives later this year.

1 June – WORLD TRIATHLON PARA CUP VIGO
Vigo is another new location on the World Para Cup circuit. Located in the northwest of Spain, close to Pontevedra, the host of the 2023 World Triathlon Para Championships, it is also home to one of the sport’s all-time greats: PTVI Paralympic Champion and one of the favourites for another gold in Paris, Susana Rodriguez B1.

8 June – WORLD TRIATHLON PARA CUP TARANTO
Taranto made its debut as a World Para Cup in 2023. With the reigning women’s world champion in the women’s PTVI class, Francesca Tarantello B3, hailing from Italy, Taranto could well see a home world champion grace the start line.

15 June – WORLD TRIATHLON PARA CUP BESANCON
Whereas Vigo and Taranto are relatively new events to the calendar, Besancon is a very well-established stop on the circuit. A dazzling array of French talents, led by world champion Alexis Hanquinquant (PTS4), will no doubt provide the spectacle once again as France gets ready to host the world’s top athletes.

22 June – WORLD TRIATHLON PARA SERIES SWANSEA
A week later, the World Para Series will return with stops in Swansea (GBR) and Montreal (CAN). The two events will represent the final races of the Paralympic qualification window. As such, several last-ditch qualification attempts can be expected. Britain’s defending Paralympic champion, Lauren Steadman (PTS5) will likely be among the names to watch in Swansea. However, at last year’s World Para-triathlon Championships Steadman had to settle for bronze behind her compatriot Claire Cashmore, who claimed the silver medal, and the imperious Grace Norman (USA).

29 June – WORLD TRIATHLON PARA SERIES MONTREAL
The Paralympic qualification cycle reaches its climax in Montreal, and it was here Maurits Morsink (NED) stormed to a dramatic victory in the PTS2 race last year as he overhauled Mohamed Lahna (USA). Further tense finishes could be on the agenda as the final points are awarded that will dictate who is able to stamp their ticket to Paris.

13 July – WORLD TRIATHLON PARA CUP TATA
Thereafter, with Paralympic qualification decided, a new Para Cup will take place in Tata (HUN). As with Yenisehir, Samarkand and Vigo, the Tata event will represent an exciting new chapter in the growth of para-triathlon.

12/13 October – WORLD TRIATHLON PARA CUP ALHANDRA
Finally, the World Para Cup in Alhandra (POR) will then represent the only world-level race between the racing in Paris and the World Para-triathlon Championships in Malaga (ESP).

A busy season of Para triathlon racing therefore awaits. Follow the action throughout 2024 on TriathlonLive.tv and across World Triathlon social channels.