Australia’s (para and able bodied) triathletes produced a triumphant day of racing at the World Triathlon Championships in Wollongong, with world titles, podium finishes, and breakthrough performances across all Para categories and culminating with the U23/Junior (able bodied) Mixed Relay showcasing the nation’s growing strength on the international stage.
The Australian Para Triathlon Team set the tone early, led by Lauren Parker (PTWC) who continued her remarkable run of world dominance, securing her fifth world title with another commanding performance in front of cheering fans.
“It’s so special to get my fifth world title here in my home country and with my family and friends and team around me. I’m happy I was able to get it done and make everyone proud,” Parker said.
“ I always put pressure on myself, I guess. I feel like I thrive with pressure, like it helps me out there on course when I’ve got a bit of pressure and it’s all put on by me.”
Adelaide’s Anu Francis used every ounce of disappointment from finishing fourth and just shy of the podium at the Paris 24 Paralympics, powering to victory to claim the World Championship crown in PTS2.
“ I read the World Triathlon brief saying the two Americans would fight it out (Paralympic Champion and the 24 World Champion) and I kind of just took that as a ‘bring it on’, you know? I love being an underdog. There was pressure on me from myself and the Australians on the sidelines, but I knew that that was a privilege and that they were all just cheering me on and wanted me to do well.”
Jack Howell (PTS4) once again showed his class, earning his second consecutive world silver medal, this time relishing the home World Championships with more than 60 family and friends donned in Team Howell shirts screaming from the sidelines.
“A few words that have been mentioned quite a lot recently in our Australian Team catch ups is grit and ‘one team’ and I think this World’s has been amazing so far. I was watching the U23 and Juniors the past of couple days, just being so inspired by the people around me.”
From the gun, I just went super hard and I just threw it all out there. I mean, not many people win a run race with Chris Hammer, unfortunately, as he showed us in the Paralympics. But I’m glad to be in the mix once again and step up.”
Sunshine Coast Grammar student Grace Brimelow (PTS5), produced a brilliant World Champs debut to win silver, leaving her speechless and well and truly exceeding her goal of a top-five finish.
“Wow. Everyone who has got me this far – my teammates, my coach, everyone, my sponsors – it’s just unbelievable. I’m not the fittest I’ve been. I’ve had three injuries this year and to come second is astonishing. I was thinking of actually stopping because my leg hurt so bad but I just said ‘no, you’ve got to hold this silver medal and bring it home for Australia’. Wearing the green and gold, I pushed through it,” Brimelow said.
Paralympian Hannah MacDougall (PTS4) added further shine to the team’s success with a hard-fought bronze medal with Sally Pilbeam (PTS4) and Sam Harding with guide Aaron Royle (PTVI) just missing the podium in their races finishing 4th.
As the day moved into lunchtime, Australia’s U23 and Junior athletes, already buoyed by Richelle Hill’s gold medal winning sprint finish on Thursday evening in the Women’s individual U23 race, carried the momentum into the afternoon, with the quartet of Richelle Hill, Oscar Wootton, Tara Sosinski, and Brayden Mercer combining for a superb bronze medal performance in the U23/Junior Mixed Team Relay.
Richelle Hill led the group out in the race: “I just knew I had to give it my all, every bit of energy I had left after the other day. I wasn’t sure exactly how I was feeling this morning, but using Tara’s energy, she was ready for a great race. I used a bit of that and got to Oscar. Thank God. I was down the hill, my legs were buckling, but got the tag and he then posted it within seconds. I am really proud of the team.”
Tara Sosinski: “Everyone coming in to the swim together was pretty crazy. Oscar did an amazing job stepping up from the Juniors in the U23 relay and he put me in a great position, which I was really thankful for. I just tried to close that gap in the swim and then had a nice grip on that bike and then tried to hand over to Brayden in a nice gap.”
Oscar Wootton: “Watching Richelle and Tara on Thursday and just like the way they go about things is so professional, so amazing. I look up to these guys every single day so I’m honestly in awe that I get to be in a team with them. So I just really wanted to rise to the occasion.”
Brayden Mercer: “The three before me, they set it up perfectly for me and they all did their job perfectly so it’s down to them really. And then I just got the warrior leg and I knew like as soon as I was tagged, I just really had to give in everything for that finish line. That’s what I did today and it was a bronze medal. I mean, we would’ve loved that gold for sure on home soil, but I think we did each other proud and I’m just super happy to be part of a team like this.”
