Gold Coast turned on the heat with the 29-strong Aussie contingent impressing at the 2026 Oceania Triathlon Para Sprint Championships at Runaway Bay.
It was a strong showing from the Green and Gold highlighting the depth of para-triathletes in Australia with World no.1 Jack Howell cementing his spot on top of the podium in the PTS5 category despite the warmer conditions.
“Going into this race I didn’t have a big emphasis on heat training, so it might’ve gotten the better of me in that ride. But I stuck to my guns a little bit and stayed in control, which meant I could get on the run and put together quite a consistent and solid run,” he said.
Fellow World no.1, Anu Francis also went from strength to strength making it five Oceania Championship victories in a row and keeping her undefeated record alive.
“It’s pretty exciting, obviously went undefeated last season and that’s my fifth Oceania title in a row.”
Francis also shared her excitement about sharing the course with another athlete in her category for one of the first times and her desires to keep building on her performance whenever the opportunity arises.
“This was my first race that I’ve had someone else out to race against which was pretty exciting. I still feel like a bit of a rookie in the sport. But looking at all the newbies and although I still think I’m finding my feet in the sport, I’m probably starting to become a member of the senior team which is really cool.”
After impressing in Devonport in March, Maggie Sandles debuted a new guide, Skye, and they proved they were up for the short course challenge getting the job done in 1 hour and 10 minutes to make it back-to-back Oceania Championship titles.
Meanwhile, it was a special win for Grace Brimelow who celebrated her 19th birthday with a gold medal in the PTS5 women’s category.
“It was a tough one, counting the laps. But it was nice to race somewhere where I’ve raced before like Super Sprint and it’s nice to race on home ground. That race was a good hit-out and seeing where I’m at and I got to do it on my birthday which was pretty special,” she said.
Dave Miln took home the top gong in the PTWC men, while Thomas Goodman got it done in 1 hour and 20 minutes to secure gold. Sam Harding and Aaron Royle flexed their muscles in the PTVI men’s finishing in just over an hour with Mitch Wilkes coming in second, in only his second international race. While Sally Pilbeam showed plenty of grit and determination out on the course to add another gold to her name.
The continued support from Commonwealth Games Australia and the Green to Gold to Great campaign ensures that we’re able to deliver great events that showcase the talent we have on offer in Australia.
See the full list of results.
