Four Commonwealth Games medallists are set to lead the charge for triathlon at the upcoming Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, with the nation’s biggest squad yet to contest the event.
Sam Harding, who won silver at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, will be joined by fellow medallists Nic Beveridge (silver, Gold Coast 2018), Lauren Parker (bronze, Gold Coast 2018), and Aaron Royle (bronze, Glasgow 2014), with the former acting as a guide.
Meanwhile Commonwealth Games Australia’s Emerging Athlete of the Month for March, Jack Howell, leads the way as part of the wave of emerging youth within the sport.
Among the other athletes making their debut are those who have made a big impact during the qualification period and staunch campaigners who have had to bide their time before competing on the biggest stage.
For 17-year-old Grace Brimelow, things have happened quickly. For Sally Pilbeam and Justin Godfrey, selection has been years in the making, as their classifications didn’t feature at the Games until now.
Harding, who will compete in the PTVI with guide Aaron Royle, said moving to triathlon from athletics was made easier by the team around him.
“It’s been great. I’ve probably just had three years of my most consistent training,” he said.
“I’m running the best I ever have and the rest of the triathlon group has been great. It’s a pretty tight-knit group.
“I definitely get a team feel from them. We have to travel for the points and rankings, so you spend a bit of time away and, if something happens to your equipment or whatever, it’s great to have others around who will come and help out.
The para-triathlon events will take place on September 1 and 2. The start and finish line of the triathlon events will be at Pont Alexandre III. The Pont Alexandre III, a 45-metre metal bridge, has a single 107-metre arch and three hinges, enabling it to span the Seine in a single unbroken curve.
The course will see athletes competing against the backdrop of symbolic landmarks such as the Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower.
With thanks to the Paralympics Australia and AusTriathlon.
Current Australian Para-Triathlon Team (As of 21 July 2024)
- Nic Bevridge
- Tom Goodman
- Justin Godfrey
- Jeremy Peacock
- Liam Twoomey
- Jack Howell
- David Bryant
- Sam Harding
- Aaron Royle
- Lauren Parker
- Anu Francis
- Grace Brimelow
- Sally Pilbeam
