EDMONTON, Canada – Grace Norman (Jamestown, Ohio, PTS5) and Aaron Scheidies (Seattle, Wash., PTVI) earned gold medals on Friday at the third stop of the 2017 ITU World Paratriathlon Series in Edmonton, Canada. 

Paratriathletes completed a sprint-distance course featuring a 750-meter swim, 20.4-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run.

Norman, a gold medalist in paratriathlon’s debut at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, demonstrated she is still in top form with her win in the women’s PTS5 division. Norman had a lead of more than 30 seconds on the field coming out of the swim, but Great Britain’s Lauren Steadman bridged the gap on the bike. Norman then used her signature run speed to pull away from Steadman, breaking the tape in 1 hour, 10 minutes, 44 seconds. Steadman crossed second in 1:12:12, and Claire Cashmore of Great Britain rounded out the podium in 1:14:08.

In the men’s PTVI race, Scheidies and guide Ben Collins rode away from the field to win by more than two minutes. Scheidies exited the water about 30 seconds back from Great Britain’s David Ellis, but recorded 29:28 bike split that was more than two minutes faster than his closest competitor. He held onto his lead on the run, crossing the line with a time of 1:04:09. Ellis was second in 1:06:08, and France’s Arnaud Grandjean took third in 1:10:22.

Four other U.S. athletes earned podium finishes on Friday night, including Joel Rosinbum (Austin, Texas, PTS4), Hailey Danz (Chicago, Ill., PTS2), Liz Baker (Signal Mountain, Tenn., PTVI), and Amy Dixon (Encinitas, Calif., PTVI). 

Danz, who won a silver medal at the Rio 2016 Games, placed second for the PTS2 women behind only Liisa Lijla of Finland. In the women’s PTVI division, Baker and Dixon took second and third respectively, sharing the podium with Australia’s Katie Kelly. 

Rosinbum collected a bronze medal in the men’s PTS4 division behind winner Steven Crowley of Great Britain and runner-up Hideki Uda of Japan. Omar Bermejo (Casper, Wy.) also had a strong race for the PTS4 men, placing fourth in a career-best WPS finish.

Also representing the U.S. on Friday were Zach Young (Jackson, Mo.) and Howie Sanborn (Denver, Colo.), who placed seventh and eighth respectively for the PTWC men, and Allan Armstrong (Colorado Springs, Colo.), who earned sixth for the PTS2 men.

The Edmonton race marks the final WPS event before the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on Sept. 15.

The action in Edmonton continues Saturday with the ITU World Triathlon Series races for elite men and women. The women, led by overall WTS series leader Katie Zaferes (Hampstead, Md.), are set to race at 3:06 p.m. ET (1:06 p.m. local time). The men’s race is scheduled for 5:06 p.m. ET (3:06 p.m. local time). 

Both WTS races will be broadcast live online at triathlonlive.tv, and will air on Universal HD from 8-10 p.m. on Monday, July 31. Visit wts.triathlon.org for complete start lists.

ITU World Paratriathlon Series Edmonton
750m swim, 20.4k bike, 5k run
Complete Results
 
PTWC Men
1. Geert Schipper (NED), 1:06:07
2. Joseph Townsend (GBR), 1:08:36
3. Alexandre Paviza (FRA), 1:11:12
7. Zach Young (Jackson, Mo.), 1:23:06
8. Howie Sanborn (Denver, Colo.), 1:31:21

PTWC Women
1. Emily Tapp (AUS), 1:23:07
2. Margret Ijdema (NED), 1:39:26

PTS2 Men 
1. Geoffrey Wersy (FRA), 1:14:48
2. Mohamed Lahna (ITU), 1:14:54
3. Lionel Morales (ESP), 1:16:10
6. Allan Armstrong (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 1:26:16

PTS2 Women
1. Liisa Lilja (FIN), 1:27:10
2. Hailey Danz (Chicago, Ill.), 1:29:05
3. Fran Brown (GBR), 1:32:59

PTS3 Men
1. Ryan Taylor (GBR), 1:13:39
2. Joaquin Carrasco (ESP), 1:20:56

PTS4 Men
1. Steven Crowley (GBR), 1:07:44
2. Hideki Uda (JPN), 1:12:34
3. Joel Rosinbum (Austin, Texas), 1:13:02
4. Omar Bermejo (Casper, Wy.), 1:18:32

PTS4 Women 
1. Mami Tani (JPN), 1:22:29
2. Sally Pilbeam (AUS), 1:25:33

PTS5 Men
1. Stefan Daniel (CAN), 1:00:04
2. George Peasgood (GBR), 1:05:51
3. Carlos Rafael Viana (BRA), 1:07:06

PTS5 Women 
1. Grace Norman (Jamestown, Ohio), 1:10:44
2. Lauren Steadman (GBR), 1:12:12
3. Kate Doughty (AUS), 1:13:56

PTVI Men
1. Aaron Scheidies (Seattle, Wash.), 1:04:09
2. David Ellis (GBR), 1:06:08
3. Arnaud Grandjean (FRA), 1:10:22

PTVI Women
1. Katie Kelly (AUS), 1:13:03
2. Elizabeth Baker (Signal Mountain, Tenn.), 1:16:00
3. Amy Dixon (Encinitas, Calif.), 1:18:31

Click here for more information about the ITU Paratriathlon sport classes.

About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 races and connects with nearly 500,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches, and race directors on the grassroots level, USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).