World Triathlon

The visually impaired athletes of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will get underway at midday on Sunday 1 September, the third Games outing for the women in the category, the second for the men. All will arrive with huge targets ahead.

For the defending women’s champion Susana Rodriguez B1, a new guide and her ever-present competitive edge will need to be as sharp as ever to make it back-to-back golds at the highest level.

In the men’s race, with no Brad Snyder present to chase his second title, Britain’s Dave Ellis B3 will want to convert his dominance in the sport over recent years to Paralympic gold after suffering a mechanical on the bike in Tokyo that ended his chances.

The men go out at midday with the less-impaired B2 and B3 starting athletes 2m41s after the B1, the women at 12.05pm with the B2 and B3 starting 3m11s after the first horn. For full course info and schedule, click here.

Rodriguez vs Tarantello for the title?

One has been racing for nearly 25 years, has five world titles, four European titles and a Paralympic gold. The other is 22 years old, has been racing at the top level for two years but goes in to the Paris 2024 race as the current World Champion and every bit the Paralympic contender.

Spain’s Rodriguez was the dominant force in the women’s visually impaired races throughout the Tokyo 2020 cycle. After finishing 5th on her Paralympic debut in Rio, she became the leader of the new generation, spearheading a wave of talent and going on an unbeaten run from mid-2019 to 2023. Into Paris with new guide Sara Perez Sala, the pair have quickly become accustomed to racing together, scoring WTPS Montreal gold in the final qualification race of the period.

The woman who beat her last year at the World Championships Pontevedra is Francesca Tarantello B3. Bursting on to the scene with Montreal silver in 2022, the Italian has developed the bike and run to match her strong swim and arrives at her Paralympic debut full of confidence for a career-defining performance.

Test Event winner back in contention

Elsewhere on the start list, Anja Renner B3 of Germany was the winner of the Test Event last summer in her first year at the top of the sport and will be a major medal threat. Chloe MaCcombe B3 of Ireland is a Commonwealth Games medallist ready to hit the next big landmark in her young career and French duo Annouck Curzillat B1 and Heloise Courvoisier B3 will have the crowd right behind their every move. Britain’s hugely experienced Rio 2016 silver medallist Alison Peasgood B2 will also start her third Games.

Ellis has a date with destiny

For Britain’s Dave Ellis, nothing short of gold will surely satisfy his craving for a Paralympic medal. With his category not on the schedule in Rio and the bike issues of Tokyo, the preparations for his latest campaign will have been impeccable in his pursuit of the big prize.

Another French pair will want to be the people to stop him, Thibaut Rigaudeau B3’s WTPS Montreal gold and World Championship silver making him among the favourites to do just that. For his part, Antoine Perel B1 won WTPS Devonport gold, and after 6th in Tokyo, the bike talent has the major Games experience to build on.

Team USA aiming to follow up Snyder’s Tokyo title

Owen Cravens B3 has been quick to fill the shoes of Brad Snyder in the USA team, winning the continental title in March to confirm his qualification for the squad, Kyle Coon B1 joining him in the stars and stripes’ pursuit of medals.

Australian hopes lie with Sam Harding B3, bronze medallist in Swansea in June, and Spain’s Hector Catala Laparra is no stranger to the biggest podiums after taking the silver in Tokyo after being crowned world champion in 2019.

For the full start lists, click here.