With LA28 Paralympic qualification announced last week, the stakes could not have been higher as the world's best Para triathletes gathered once again at the beautiful Parc Jean Drapeau course in Montreal for stop three of the 2026 World Triathlon Para Series. Over a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run, ten categories delivered a day of fierce competition, historic sweeps and unforgettable finishes.
PTWC Men
The men's wheelchair race delivered exactly the drama that had been anticipated. Italy's Giuseppe Romele proved the decisive force, crossing the line in 1:01:21 to take the win, with last year's silver medallist Howie Sanborn (USA) just 26 seconds behind in second. Great Britain's Josh Landmann — last year's bronze medallist and one of the pre-race favourites — completed the podium in 1:02:13, just 12 seconds clear of Dutch newcomer Tijn Van Lange-Verhoek, who posted the fastest run split in the class. Frenchman Julien Viot, another name tipped for the podium, finished fifth in 1:03:42, with Lucas Henrique Santana Rodrigues (BRA) sixth.
PTWC Women
In the absence of Paris 2024 Paralympic Champion Lauren Parker, the women's PTWC race was always going to produce a new champion — and what a finish it was. Kendall Gretsch (USA), the Tokyo 2020 champion, and Brazil's Jessica Ferreira crossed the line in an identical time of 1:03:33, with Gretsch awarded the victory on countback after a breathtaking battle across all three disciplines. Canada's Leanne Taylor, racing on home soil and hoping to improve on her silver here in 2024, pushed hard but had to settle for fourth in 1:06:33, with Emelia Perry (USA) between them in third.
PTS2 Men
Belgium's Wim De Paepe proved he is no one-year wonder, successfully defending his Montreal title with a composed and controlled display to finish in 1:07:25. USA's Mark Barr pushed hard but crossed the line 1:17 behind in second, with Italy's Gianluca Valori claiming bronze. Kyle Stepp (USA) and Michael Herter (FRA) rounded out the top five, grabbing valuable points for scaling up in the Para triathlon rankings ahead of the start of the Paralympic qualification.
PTS2 Women
Japan's Asumi Yasuda was the sole PTS2 women's competitor in Montreal and delivered a commanding performance over the Parc Jean Drapeau course to take the category win in 1:22:33, adding to her growing reputation as one of the sport's most consistent performers.
PTS3 Men
France's Cédric Denuzière was as formidable as anticipated, leading from the front to claim PTS3 Men honours and deny compatriot Geoffrey Wersy the spoils. However, it was Greece's Stylianos Malakopoulos — fourth in Yokohama this year — who produced the surprise of the race, finishing a superb second. Germany's Valentin Hanzer took bronze, with 2025 bronze medallist Zachary Osborne (USA) fourth and first-time Series starter Lucas Jundt (USA) — the continental champion — fifth. Wersy eventually crossed seventh, with Jonas Souza (BRA) completing the field.
PTS3 Women
Israel's Atalia Nevo, the woman to beat after her first Series podium in Yokohama, backed that form with a commanding victory in Montreal, crossing the line in 1:26:43. American Hannah Longmire — the rising continental champion hoping to go one better than her silver last year — pushed hard but finished more than eight minutes adrift in second, a reminder of just how dominant Nevo was across all three disciplines.
PTS4 Men
Alexis Hanquinquant delivered another demonstration of his extraordinary talent, the French Paralympic champion extending his unbeaten run — stretching back to 2019 — with a dominant victory in 56:55, the fastest time posted across all Para categories on the day. In a remarkable display of French depth, Antoîne Lamarche Poulain, Pierre-Antoine Baele — last year's winner in Montreal — Grégoire Berthon and Ronan Lebris followed in a historical French one-two-three-four-five, with the first four athletes finishing inside the hour. America's Carson Clough (6th), Great Britain's Michael Taylor (7th), Japan's Hideki Uda (8th) and Jorge Luis Fonseca (BRA, 9th) and Keiya Kaneko (JPN, 10th) completed the field.
PTS4 Women
The women's PTS4 race delivered the close battle that had been promised. America's Danielle Cummings took a measured and confident victory in 1:14:37, with compatriot Emma Meyers crossing in 1:23:21 for silver. French debutante Zoé Reveillon — the European Championships silver medallist making her World Triathlon Para Series debut — had been well placed through the swim and bike before being forced to retire, leaving the final podium position unfilled.
PTS5 Men
World Champion Chris Hammer (USA) produced a performance befitting his title to take PTS5 Men victory, holding off the man who pushed him hardest last year — Ireland's Tom Williamson — who finished just 1:14 behind in second. Brazil's Ruiter Antonio Goncalves Silva claimed bronze in 59:56, with Great Britain's Oliver Scott a further three seconds back in fourth. Without home favourite Stefan Daniel in the field, Kenya's Oscar Dennis took fifth, and Cypriot Andreas Doulappas sixth.
PTS5 Women
Grace Norman (USA) continued her dominance of the category with another authoritative victory, crossing the line in 1:04:50 and extending the run of fine form she showed on route to gold in Yokohama in May. Brazil's Erica Da Rosa Rodrigues was an excellent second in 1:08:32, with France's Gwladys Lemoussu taking bronze in 1:13:08. American Michelle Dynes completed the field in fourth.
PTVI Men
Even in the absence of big names like Dave Ellis, the men's PTVI race was a cracker. Australia's Sam Harding prevailed in 58:15, ahead of Great Britain's Oscar Kelly in 58:57. American Owen Cravens, building towards a major World Championship push in Pontevedra this September, took bronze in 59:27. France's Thibaut Rigaudeau was a close fourth in 1:00:15, with Spain's Abel Torreblanca Lopez and Kevin Mendez Martinez fifth and sixth. Canada's Olivier Desloges was cheered home by the Montreal crowd in seventh.
PTVI Women
Spain's Susana Rodriguez — two-times Paralympic Champion — lived up to every expectation, delivering an outstanding display to win the PTVI Women's race just two months after a surgery that kept her out of the blue carpet. Germany's Anja Renner took a fine silver in 1:05:51, with America's McClain Hermes — continuing her meteoric rise in the sport — claiming bronze in 1:06:07. Brazil's Leticia Freitas finished fourth in 1:07:09, just ahead of the Irish sisters Judith (1:09:08) and Chloe MacCombe (1:09:18), whose back-to-back finish was a memorable moment of the day. France's Héloïse Courvoisier — who had narrowly missed the podium here last year — finished seventh, with Taylor Talbot (USA) eighth and Canadian Margot Wehrle ninth, racing to home crowd support in Montreal.