Professor Vicky Tolfrey leads a team at Loughborough University that is pioneering new approaches to the way paratriathletes train and race – all with an eye firmly on paratriathlon’s debut at the Rio 2016 Olympics…
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>>> Medal events confirmed for paratriathlon’s Olympic debut
Paratriathletes compete over three disciplines, in five classification groups (PT1 – PT5). Although the disciplines are the same for the Olympic athlete, the training principles aren’t directly transferrable.
The short history of the sport means that effective training principles for the paratriathlete are still being developed, and there’s very little applicable published data in the area.
The British Triathlon Federation (BTF) and their paratriathlon performance manager Jonathan Riall decided that the best way to develop effective training principles for paratriathletes would be to carry out a scientific study of the development/elite squad of athletes, while documenting existing knowledge.
The BTF – with funding from the Peter Harrison Foundation – granted a physiological support project at Loughborough University (2014-2015) for the paratriathlon performance athletes.
The team at the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport consists of Katy Griggs has carefully planned a programme of testing that will support the athletes and coaches during the build up to Rio 2016.
The main purpose is to give athletes a physiological advantage over their competitors, by ensuring that they’re in the best shape for Rio with an effective training strategy.
The project involves assessing the squad members over a range of test protocols at specific points in their training cycle. As noted before, paratriathlon sports training knowledge is still developing and some of the ‘empirical laws’ of training may need to be challenged.
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This has therefore provided staff within the PHC a valuable opportunity to collect data of this nature. Alongside the longitudinal physiological profiles of paratriathletes, three main applied research topics have been developed:
1. Understanding the economy of running/pushing following the transition of the cycle discipline;
2. Monitoring the immune function in paratriathletes across a season;
3. Cooling and acclimatisation strategies for paratriathletes.
Many paratriathletes will display a unique physiological response during exercise depending upon their physical impairment. For example, for athletes in the PT1 class (wheelchair athletes), the considerably smaller amount of muscle mass used and varying trunk stability must be taken into account. These athletes will also have impaired thermoregulatory capacity compared with their able-bodied counterparts.
This is most likely caused by impairment to the nervous system which disrupts the control of skin blood flow. Moreover, athletes with cerebral palsy will display impaired movement patterns during fatigue and may also find exercise in the heat detrimental to performance. Research is still ongoing for the second and third topics highlighted above, but further work is warranted.
It is envisaged that the applied research findings, together with the testing and monitoring of the training programmes, will enable the PHC team to educate the athletes and their coaches to understand the physiological background of training principles and preparation strategies. In turn this will help with the development of training programmes that are specific to the sport as well as to the individual concerned.
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(Images: Andrew Weekes)
The Swim
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It’s a fairly non-technical swim, with only one full 180° turn round three buoys, so will favour weaker swimmers. But if the water’s choppy, this will play more into the stronger swimmers’ hands. Having a good sighting reference on the way back into the beach will be key.
Transition 1
Out of the water into T1 is quick and sharp. If bunches form on the swim, this will be a key time to try and get ahead of others leading into the non-drafting bike element. Therefore stronger runners could find this advantageous.
The Bike Start
Like the Olympic course, the bike course features a 180° turn 100-200m after transition. Getting feet in shoes quickly will allow athletes to get the power on the road sooner; therefore maximising aerodynamics. The two long straights (per lap) are well over 1km long, so being able to maintain a good TT position at speed is key to a fast bike time.
The Bike
The three dead turns at the north end of the course are quite wide and bike handling to maintain speed through them may well be key to the overall outcome of the race. British athletes such as Alison Patrick with Hazel Smith as her guide (PT5), Andy Lewis (PT2) and Joe Townsend (PT1) will enjoy these turns as their handling skills are among the best of their respective categories.
The Run
The run incorporates two turns per lap. With the south turn being wide and sweeping it will be a quick course, but for the athletes racing later in the day the main focus will be trying to run in the shade. Also, if it’s windy, running on competitors’ shoulders will provide great cover for the 800m stretches.
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Related
Paratriathlon: the ultimate guide
GB paratriathlon squad: the women
GB paratriathlon squad: the men
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The Swim
Advertisement
It’s a fairly non-technical swim, with only one full 180° turn round three buoys, so will favour weaker swimmers. But if the water’s choppy, this will play more into the stronger swimmers’ hands. Having a good sighting reference on the way back into the beach will be key.
Transition 1
Click Here: liverpool mens jersey
Out of the water into T1 is quick and sharp. If bunches form on the swim, this will be a key time to try and get ahead of others leading into the non-drafting bike element. Therefore stronger runners could find this advantageous.
The Bike Start
Like the Olympic course, the bike course features a 180° turn 100-200m after transition. Getting feet in shoes quickly will allow athletes to get the power on the road sooner; therefore maximising aerodynamics. The two long straights (per lap) are well over 1km long, so being able to maintain a good TT position at speed is key to a fast bike time.
The Bike
The three dead turns at the north end of the course are quite wide and bike handling to maintain speed through them may well be key to the overall outcome of the race. British athletes such as Alison Patrick with Hazel Smith as her guide (PT5), Andy Lewis (PT2) and Joe Townsend (PT1) will enjoy these turns as their handling skills are among the best of their respective categories.
The Run
The run incorporates two turns per lap. With the south turn being wide and sweeping it will be a quick course, but for the athletes racing later in the day the main focus will be trying to run in the shade. Also, if it’s windy, running on competitors’ shoulders will provide great cover for the 800m stretches.
Advertisement
Related
Paratriathlon: the ultimate guide
GB paratriathlon squad: the women
GB paratriathlon squad: the men
Paratriathlon’s debut got off to a golden start on the Copacabana earlier today as GB’s Andy Lewis took gold in the PT2 category ahead of race favourite Michele Ferrarin of Italy. Fourth onto the 22km four-lap bike course, he quickly made up ground to start the 5km two-lap run in silver-medal position.
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“I came onto the last lap of the run and I had [Moroccan] Mohamad Lahna in front of me,” Lewis told 220 at the line. “So I went past him and then he sat behind me. I could just hear his blade tapping the floor and I just thought I’ve got to get away from this guy. I look up and see Ferrarin had a penalty and that was my motivation to go.”
The Paralympic win for Lewis tops off a phenomenal year for the 33-year-old, who also took the European and world titles.
“Coming into this race today I had massive doubts about whether I could get on that podium. I just didn’t feel it while we were in [the holding camp] Belo. I just wanted to race, from the moment we arrived here, and to be told I had to hold in a camp, mentally it was tough. But coming here, and getting a medal is just incredible.”
Fellow PT2er and teammate Ryan Taylor finished sixth out of the 10-strong category, and was upbeat at the finish line despite trailing the 750m swim by 4:22secs on the then leader Mark Barr (USA): “If my swim was much better I’d have been closer [to the leaders]. I know I’ve got the edge on them on the bike and run but it’s just the swim I was lacking.”
As for his fellow teammate and now Paralympic gold medallist: “Andy’s just awesome, I couldn’t be more pleased for him. This guy is so supportive of me, and has helped push me along. He just deserves this so much.”
Speaking to Lewis’s coach Steve Casson after the medal ceremony he commented: “It was an absolutely fantastic delivery by Andy today. He has ups and downs on the lead-in to a race like this but between us we know he’s going to put it together on the day, and that’s absolute what he did. He didn’t panic, he knew some of the stronger athletes would come past him on the bike, and he just had to stick to his plan and finish off with a great run, which he’s always capable of doing. We had a few choice words while he was out on the course but that’s what he asked me to do! It gets him fired up.”
Peasgood swims good
The PT4 category was actually the first off the pontoon, at 10am local time, 3mins ahead of PT2. And it was GB’s George Peasgood who took the race to the field, exiting in 9:41mins, 33secs ahead of the next athlete.
“I managed to get a bit more away on the swim than expected,” admitted Peasgood at the line. “I was really surprised that I was out on my own. Coming out was absolutely insane, and I took it all in and enjoyed the moment.”
Peasgood held the lead until the third lap of the bike leg, when race favourite and reining world and European champion Martin Schulz overtook the 19-year-old Brit for first… which he would never relinquish, becoming the first Paralympic paratriathlon medallist.
On his weakest discipline, the run, Peasgood would drop to seventh.
“I knew Martin Schulz was going to come past at some point, but I needed to focus on myself and not get caught up in the situation going onto the run. The run was hard as it got hotter and hotter, but I enjoyed it.
“Last year [at the Test Event] I came sixth with a couple of people missing, and I wanted to come as close as possible today.”
Teammate David Hill finished 10th: “It was just incredible to cross that finish line, to be honest with you. It’s been an incredible journey to get here. This time last year it was looking quite doubtful that I’d be able to compete here. So right now I’m just feeling extremely grateful and incredibly thankful for all the support I’ve received from British Triathlon and friends and family from back home. Very tough conditions today but made a lot easier by all the crowds.”
Double Dutch
Starting at 11:20am, the final race of the day saw the wheelchair category take to the Copacabana course. While Joe Townsend and Phil Hogg both had stellar races to finish sixth and eighth, respectively, the day belonged to Team Netherlands, as Jetze Plat led from the start to finish with a whopping 1:59min margin over teammate Geert Schipper.
Yet even if Hogg had finished last, nothing could have defused his enthusiasm for the race, cheering and waving to crowd down the finish chute as if he’d just won.
“I’m feeling absolutely awesome,” he beamed at the finish. “I actually feel like a Paralympian now, I’ve not felt like that until crossing that line. Talking to you now, I’m getting goose bumps and this is something that will stay with me forever. Four years’ worth of training, that was my time to shine and say thank you to everyone who’s believed in me.”
As for the race itself: “I had a solid race, eighth is not the best in the world. But you know what I can put my hand on my heart and say I did everything to plan, from the days leading up to the race to the crossing the line. My processes were right and I felt absolutely confident throughout the race.”
Unfortunately Townsend was taken away at the finish line due to severe heat exhaustion, but was declared fit and well soon after.
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For full results head here and for a full report and exclusive imagery from today’s and tomorrow’s women’s events, check out the November issue of 220, on sale 11 October.
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PIC CREDIT: David Pearce
Paratriathlon’s debut got off to a golden start on the Copacabana earlier today as GB’s Andy Lewis took gold in the PT2 category ahead of race favourite Michele Ferrarin of Italy. Fourth onto the 22km four-lap bike course, he quickly made up ground to start the 5km two-lap run in silver-medal position.
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“I came onto the last lap of the run and I had [Moroccan] Mohamad Lahna in front of me,” Lewis told 220 at the line. “So I went past him and then he sat behind me. I could just hear his blade tapping the floor and I just thought I’ve got to get away from this guy. I look up and see Ferrarin had a penalty and that was my motivation to go.”
The Paralympic win for Lewis tops off a phenomenal year for the 33-year-old, who also took the European and world titles.
“Coming into this race today I had massive doubts about whether I could get on that podium. I just didn’t feel it while we were in [the holding camp] Belo. I just wanted to race, from the moment we arrived here, and to be told I had to hold in a camp, mentally it was tough. But coming here, and getting a medal is just incredible.”
Fellow PT2er and teammate Ryan Taylor finished sixth out of the 10-strong category, and was upbeat at the finish line despite trailing the 750m swim by 4:22secs on the then leader Mark Barr (USA): “If my swim was much better I’d have been closer [to the leaders]. I know I’ve got the edge on them on the bike and run but it’s just the swim I was lacking.”
As for his fellow teammate and now Paralympic gold medallist: “Andy’s just awesome, I couldn’t be more pleased for him. This guy is so supportive of me, and has helped push me along. He just deserves this so much.”
Speaking to Lewis’s coach Steve Casson after the medal ceremony he commented: “It was an absolutely fantastic delivery by Andy today. He has ups and downs on the lead-in to a race like this but between us we know he’s going to put it together on the day, and that’s absolute what he did. He didn’t panic, he knew some of the stronger athletes would come past him on the bike, and he just had to stick to his plan and finish off with a great run, which he’s always capable of doing. We had a few choice words while he was out on the course but that’s what he asked me to do! It gets him fired up.”
Peasgood swims good
The PT4 category was actually the first off the pontoon, at 10am local time, 3mins ahead of PT2. And it was GB’s George Peasgood who took the race to the field, exiting in 9:41mins, 33secs ahead of the next athlete.
“I managed to get a bit more away on the swim than expected,” admitted Peasgood at the line. “I was really surprised that I was out on my own. Coming out was absolutely insane, and I took it all in and enjoyed the moment.”
Peasgood held the lead until the third lap of the bike leg, when race favourite and reining world and European champion Martin Schulz overtook the 19-year-old Brit for first… which he would never relinquish, becoming the first Paralympic paratriathlon medallist.
On his weakest discipline, the run, Peasgood would drop to seventh.
“I knew Martin Schulz was going to come past at some point, but I needed to focus on myself and not get caught up in the situation going onto the run. The run was hard as it got hotter and hotter, but I enjoyed it.
“Last year [at the Test Event] I came sixth with a couple of people missing, and I wanted to come as close as possible today.”
Teammate David Hill finished 10th: “It was just incredible to cross that finish line, to be honest with you. It’s been an incredible journey to get here. This time last year it was looking quite doubtful that I’d be able to compete here. So right now I’m just feeling extremely grateful and incredibly thankful for all the support I’ve received from British Triathlon and friends and family from back home. Very tough conditions today but made a lot easier by all the crowds.”
Double Dutch
Starting at 11:20am, the final race of the day saw the wheelchair category take to the Copacabana course. While Joe Townsend and Phil Hogg both had stellar races to finish sixth and eighth, respectively, the day belonged to Team Netherlands, as Jetze Plat led from the start to finish with a whopping 1:59min margin over teammate Geert Schipper.
Yet even if Hogg had finished last, nothing could have defused his enthusiasm for the race, cheering and waving to crowd down the finish chute as if he’d just won.
“I’m feeling absolutely awesome,” he beamed at the finish. “I actually feel like a Paralympian now, I’ve not felt like that until crossing that line. Talking to you now, I’m getting goose bumps and this is something that will stay with me forever. Four years’ worth of training, that was my time to shine and say thank you to everyone who’s believed in me.”
As for the race itself: “I had a solid race, eighth is not the best in the world. But you know what I can put my hand on my heart and say I did everything to plan, from the days leading up to the race to the crossing the line. My processes were right and I felt absolutely confident throughout the race.”
Unfortunately Townsend was taken away at the finish line due to severe heat exhaustion, but was declared fit and well soon after.
For full results head here and for a full report and exclusive imagery from today’s and tomorrow’s women’s events, check out the November issue of 220, on sale 11 October.
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PIC CREDIT: David Pearce
Race-favourite Lauren Steadman has taken Paralympic GB’s second medal in as many days, adding silver to Andy Lewis’s PT2 gold from yesterday. In a close-fought battle with reigning world champion Grace Norman (USA), the two-time Paralympic swimmer had to claw back the lead after Norman took first blood over the 750m sea swim in Rio.
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Over the ensuing 22km bike leg, Steadman took the lead but by the slimmest of margins, Norman refusing to let the multiple world PT4 champ get away.
Leaving T2, Steadman automatically built up a 10sec gap as lower-leg amputee had to spend longer with the changeover. But within the first 1km of the 5km run along the Copacabana seafront, Norman had overtaken the Brit, never relinquishing her lead to the tape and becoming the first PT4 Paralympic paratriathlon gold medallist.
Fellow Brits Faye McClelland and Clare Cunningham crossed the line in fourth and seventh, respectively.
For full results head here and for a full report and exclusive imagery from today’s and yesterday’s men’s events, check out the November issue of 220, on sale 11 October.
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PIC CREDIT: David Pearce
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Race-favourite Lauren Steadman has taken Paralympic GB’s second medal in as many days, adding silver to Andy Lewis’s PT2 gold from yesterday. In a close-fought battle with reigning world champion Grace Norman (USA), the two-time Paralympic swimmer had to claw back the lead after Norman took first blood over the 750m sea swim in Rio.
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Over the ensuing 22km bike leg, Steadman took the lead but by the slimmest of margins, Norman refusing to let the multiple world PT4 champ get away.
Leaving T2, Steadman automatically built up a 10sec gap as lower-leg amputee had to spend longer with the changeover. But within the first 1km of the 5km run along the Copacabana seafront, Norman had overtaken the Brit, never relinquishing her lead to the tape and becoming the first PT4 Paralympic paratriathlon gold medallist.
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Fellow Brits Faye McClelland and Clare Cunningham crossed the line in fourth and seventh, respectively.
For full results head here and for a full report and exclusive imagery from today’s and yesterday’s men’s events, check out the November issue of 220, on sale 11 October.
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PIC CREDIT: David Pearce
On paratriathlon’s Paralympic debut, ParalympicGB has collected four medals, the latest coming courtesy of a phenomenal PT5 event, where Alison Patrick and Hazel Smith bagged silver ahead of compatriots Melissa Reid and guide Nicole Walters for bronze. The victors were the Aussie pairing of Katie Kelly and triathlon legend Michellie Jones.
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Exiting T1 after the 750m swim, Reid/Walters were lying in second place behind the Dutch duo of Hakker/van Vliet, but ahead of teammates Patrick/Smith in third. But by the end of the first lap of the four-lap 22km bike, Reid/Walters had taken the lead, with the Dutch in-between the two Brit couples. Chasing in fourth was the formidable pairing of Kelly/Jones (AUS), but only 13secs separated the octet.
After the second lap, Reid/Walters were still in the lead, but Patrick/Smith had moved into silver and Kelly/Jones into bronze-medal position. In a game of constant leapfrog, it was the turn of Kelly/Jones at the front of the race after lap three, with Reid/Walters in second, Patrick/Smith in third.
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At the start of the 5km run, the positions remained the same, the Aussie duo extending their lead of the chasing Brits with every step. But by the end of the first lap, Patrick/Smith had slotted into second ahead of Reid/Walters. With over a minute cushion over fourth place, the top three positions remained the same until the very end, as Copacabana welcomed in their last three medallists.
For full results head here and for a full report and exclusive imagery from today’s and yesterday’s men’s events, check out the November issue of 220, on sale 11 October.
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PIC CREDIT: David Pearce
On paratriathlon’s Paralympic debut, ParalympicGB has collected four medals, the latest coming courtesy of a phenomenal PT5 event, where Alison Patrick and Hazel Smith bagged silver ahead of compatriots Melissa Reid and guide Nicole Walters for bronze. The victors were the Aussie pairing of Katie Kelly and triathlon legend Michellie Jones.
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Exiting T1 after the 750m swim, Reid/Walters were lying in second place behind the Dutch duo of Hakker/van Vliet, but ahead of teammates Patrick/Smith in third. But by the end of the first lap of the four-lap 22km bike, Reid/Walters had taken the lead, with the Dutch in-between the two Brit couples. Chasing in fourth was the formidable pairing of Kelly/Jones (AUS), but only 13secs separated the octet.
After the second lap, Reid/Walters were still in the lead, but Patrick/Smith had moved into silver and Kelly/Jones into bronze-medal position. In a game of constant leapfrog, it was the turn of Kelly/Jones at the front of the race after lap three, with Reid/Walters in second, Patrick/Smith in third.
At the start of the 5km run, the positions remained the same, the Aussie duo extending their lead of the chasing Brits with every step. But by the end of the first lap, Patrick/Smith had slotted into second ahead of Reid/Walters. With over a minute cushion over fourth place, the top three positions remained the same until the very end, as Copacabana welcomed in their last three medallists.
Click Here: liverpool mens jersey
For full results head here and for a full report and exclusive imagery from today’s and yesterday’s men’s events, check out the November issue of 220, on sale 11 October.
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PIC CREDIT: David Pearce
GB had a great day at the 2016 Beijing International Triathlon with Olympic gold medallist Alistair Brownlee winning the men’s race and the current 70.3 World Champion, GB’s Holly Lawrence taking the women’s.
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This was the first time Ali Brownlee and Lawrence competed in this race, which saw 1,400 professional and amateur athletes from more than 39 countries participate in the fifth annual Beijing International Triathlon, held in the Fengtai District of Beijing.
“I was thrilled to return Beijing to race, this was a challenging course, something a bit different after Rio,” said Alistair Brownlee. “The field of professionals was strong with Josh Amberger setting a fast pace on the swim, followed by Cameron Dye setting the pace on the bike course.
“This was an mind-blowing race in an amazing setting with a stellar field of professional athletes,” said Lawrence. “The swim was fast, followed by a technical bike course and a run that was filled with more than 480 stairs. I knew Ashleigh Gentle, who is an amazing runner, was close to me on the run as I approached the top of the steps. I had to just go as hard as I could and I went down the steps three to five steps at a time to hold my lead.”
The race started and finished amongst the beautiful scenery of Garden Expo Park, in the Fengtai district of Beijing. The Olympic distance race featured a 1.5 km swim through Garden Expo Lake; a challenging 40 km bike race through the villages of Fengtai and up Qian Ling Mountain, the highest peak in Southwest Beijing; and a final 10 km run through the lush gardens and scenic trails of the Garden Expo Park, including a 480-step stair climb.
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The field included some of the world’s top professional triathletes; Josh Amberger (AUS); Olympian Greg Bennett (AUS); Olympian Alistair Brownlee (GBR); Kevin Collington (USA); Cameron Dye (USA); Eric Lagerstrom (USA); Olympian Joe Maloy (USA); Vicente Hernandez (ESP); Olympian Ashleigh Gentle (AUS); Lauren Goss (USA); Holly Lawrence (GBR); Barbara Riveros (CHI); Magali Tisseyre (CAN); and Radka Vodickova (CZE).
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