YOKOHAMA, Jpn.—Canada’s Paratriathletes scored a silver-medal hat-trick at the opening World Triathlon Para Series race of the season, while Charles Paquet had a career-best fifth-place finish on the World Triathlon Championship Series in Yokohama, Japan on Saturday.
All three of Canada’s elite Paratriathletes entered in the race found their way onto the podium.
It was a bittersweet medal for Calgary’s Stefan Daniel in the men’s standing classification. The 27-year-old, two-time Paralympic medallist, clocked a second-place time of 56:30 in a hard-fought battle with American, Chris Hammer, through a 750-metre swim, 20-kilometre bike and five-kilometre run course.
“The race wasn’t what I was hoping for but I’m proud of my efforts,” said Daniel. “I stayed close with everyone on the swim and bike and managed to run second. The run is getting significantly better each time I race, which I’m really excited about. I just need to clean up my transitions and a few technical areas in the months ahead, but overall, it was a day that I’m proud of.”
The soft-spoken Canuck finished just five seconds back of the gold medallist. Hammer broke the finishing tape in a time of 56:25.
Brazil’s Ronan Cordeiro was third at 56:53.
Winnipeg’s Leanne Taylor battled to her third-ever podium on the World Triathlon Para Series in the women’s sit race category. The 31-year-old Taylor stopped the clock at 1:05:01 following a thrilling sprint finish to the line.
“I’m happy to be leaving Japan with a silver medal and some great memories both from Yokohama, and my last training block,” said Taylor, who credited her training partners for having her race ready. “I didn’t understand how valuable training partners can be to give me that extra push until I was chasing them around Colorado Springs. Thank you to all of my friends who made me work harder than I ever have.”
Taylor, who began Paratriathlon in 2019 one year after a she was left paralyzed from the waist down following a mountain bike accident, finished behind Australia’s Lauren Parker who snagged the gold with a time of 1:03:36. Taylor edged out Brazil’s Jessica Ferreira by one second for second spot. Ferreira settled for the bronze medal at 1:05:02.Kamylle Frenette (Dieppe, N.B.) completed the silver-medal hat-trick for the Canadians. Frenette was hunting down the gold medal, but missed the finishing chute and was forced to double back, costing her precious seconds against her top rivals. When the dust settled, the 27-year-old was second across the line at 1:06:18.
“Today was 99 per cent amazing, one per cent heartbreak. I was in first place until the very last minute when I missed a slight right turn which cost me the win,” said Frenette following her fifth World Triathlon Para Series podium which includes a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships. “It’s a costly mistake, but you live and learn. I’m happy to come home with a silver and with where I’m at.”
Claire Cashmore, of Great Britain, capitalized on Frenette’s error, taking the gold in a time of 1:05:44. Gwladys Lemoussu, of France, placed third at 1:09:41.
Charles Paquet Fights for Fifth in World Triathlon Championship Series Race
Charles Paquet had the race of his life to meet his Olympic criteria with a career-best fifth-place finish in the men’s Olympic distance race.
The 26-year-old Paquet took on the best names in the sport to finish with a time of 1:42:30 in a hard-fought battle.
“It was a super day today. It feels good to start the season with my best-ever result, and on an Olympic distance – a distance that I have had trouble with until now,” said Paquet.
Paquet popped out of the Port of Yokohama in 24th spot following the 1.5-kilometre wetsuit swim where he remained for the first half of the 40-kilometre bike, positioned in a group of 30 riders that eventually formed into a train of 45 before second transition.
The Port Cartier, Que. product worked his way up the pack into 12th while hopping out of the pedals and into T2 to set himself up for the street-fight that ensued on foot. Things began to shake out in the third of the four-lap, 10-kilometre run course through the streets of Yokohama where the determined Canuck was matching strides with six athletes in a fight the bronze medal.
With Morgan Pearson (United States) and Matthew Hauser (Australia) breaking away, Paquet didn’t back down in the group of chasers until the final lap where the pack split. A silver medallist in the Mixed Team Relay at the 2019 Pan American Games, Paquet fought to the finish for fifth spot.
“To finish top-five during an Olympic year just feels really good,” he said. “I am stoked for the rest of the season, and the month of July.”
Pearson won the race with a time off 1:42:05. Hauser placed second at 1:42:12, while fellow Aussie, Luke Willian, eventually won the race for the bronze medal at 1:42:20.
Martin Sobey (Charlottetown) was steady in 20th place at 1:43:39. Tyler Mislawchuk (Oak Bluff, Man.) was taken out by another athlete two kilometres into the bike course and was not able to finish the race.
Emy Legault, of L’Île Perrot, Que., was the top Canadian in the women’s elite race, placing 27th after stopping the clock at 1:56:58. Dominika Jamnicky, of Guelph, Ont., finished four spots back at 1:57:12 for 31st spot.
Leonie Periault, of France, won the women’s event, setting the time to beat at 1:52:28. Taylor Knibb, of the United States, claimed the silver (1:53:04), while Emma Lombardi (France) raced to the bronze medal in a time of 1:53:08.
Complete World Triathlon Para Series Results
Complete World Triathlon Championship Series Results
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