Following its debut at Rio later this year, Paratriathlon is to be included in the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast for the first time ever.
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There will just be one class for men and women, the PT1, which is for wheelchair users. Athletes use a recumbent handcycle on the bike course and a racing wheelchair on the run segment.
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Having paratriathlon included on the programme for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games is great news,” said ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado. “I can’t imagine a better place for paratriathlon to be tested on the Commonwealth Games programme than Gold Coast, which hosts many ITU events & is a mecca for the sport of triathlon. Paratriathletes will no doubt enjoy fantastic support in the coastal city.”
The Gold Coast has served as a consistent host of ITU events, hosting the first ITU World Triathlon Series Grand Final back in 2009. It returned to the Series line up last year, and will host a World Triathlon Series race until 2018, when it will again organise the Grand Final.
“The Gold Coast will be a hub for triathlon and paratriathlon activity at both the elite and age group level in 2018 with both the ITU World Triathlon Series Grand Final and the Commonwealth Games hosted there,” said Casado.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games has the largest-ever para-sport programme, comprising up to 300 para-athletes and 38 medal events across 7 sports.
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