LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Fifteen elite U.S. paratriathletes are set to race this Sunday at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships, held as part of the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Lausanne. Allysa Seely (Glendale, Ariz., PTS2) will aim for her second consecutive world title and fourth overall, while three other defending medalists look to return to the podium.
The paratriathlon course features a 750-meter swim in Lake Geneva, a 20-kilometer bike around city streets and a 5-kilometer run. Racing begins Sunday, Sept. 1, at 2 p.m. local time (8 a.m. ET). All the action will be broadcast live at triathlonlive.tv, with subscriptions available for purchase. Fans can also follow along with live Twitter coverage @TriathlonLive.
Seely is the defending champion in the women’s PTS2 division. She went undefeated during the 2018 season, topping off her efforts with a gold medal at the 2018 ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in Gold Coast, Australia. She has extended her winning streak in ITU World Paratriathlon Series races this year, winning all three of the 2019 regular-season WPS stops in Milan, Yokohama and Montreal.
Joining Seely on the women’s PTS2 start list is defending world bronze medalist Hailey Danz (Wauwatosa, Wis.). Danz was victorious at the Tokyo ITU Paratriathlon World Cup on Aug. 17, an event that served as a test of the Odaiba Marine Park venue in the lead-up to the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. She also earned two WPS silvers in Milan and Montreal, and she broke the tape at the Toyota U.S. Paratriathlon National Championships.
The men’s PTS2 division will feature Allan Armstrong (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Adam Popp (Arlington. Va.). Armstrong started his season with a silver at the Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI Paratriathlon American Championships, then was just off the podium with a pair of WPS fourth-place finishes in Yokohama and Montreal. Armstrong also claimed his third consecutive national title in July.
Popp was the bronze medalist at the Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI, and he went on to take fifth at the WPS stop in Montreal.
Jamie Brown (Bend, Ore.), the 2017 world bronze medalist, will race in the men’s PTS4 division. Brown’s season to date has included a runner-up finish in Milan, a bronze in Montreal, a win at the Paratriathlon National Championships and another bronze at the Tokyo test event. Also racing for the PST4 men is three-time U.S. paratriathlon national champion Joel Rosinbum (Austin, Texas), who placed sixth in March at the Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI.
Kelly Elmlinger (San Antonio, Texas) is the lone U.S. representative in the women’s PTS4 division. In just her second season as an elite paratriathlete, Elmlinger captured two silver medals and a bronze on the WPS circuit, in addition to a victory at the Tokyo test event.
In the men’s PTS5 division, three-time world champion Chris Hammer (Salt Lake City, Utah) will look to return to the podium after a seventh-place finish at worlds in 2018. Hammer earned a silver medal at WPS Yokohama this season, and he reached the top of the podium at the Magog ITU Paratriathlon World Cup and the Paratriathlon National Championships.
Grace Norman (Cedarville, Ohio) looks to defend a bronze medal in the women’s PTS5 division. Norman and her two British rivals, Lauren Steadman and Claire Cashmore, have traded podium positions throughout the season. Norman was the winner in Yokohama and took bronze in Montreal. She also broke the tape at the Paratriathlon National Championships.
Aaron Scheidies (Seattle, Wash.) is the defending world silver medalist in the men’s PTVI division. He and guide Ben Collins have competed in two international races this season, taking gold at the Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI and silver at the Tokyo test event. He also claimed his ninth career national title.
Also racing for the PTVI men is Brad Snyder (Baltimore, Md.), a five-time Paralympic gold medalist in swimming who switched to elite paratriathlon in 2018. Snyder, guided by Colin Riley, reached the WPS podium for the first time this year with a bronze medal in Yokohama.
The women’s PTVI division will feature Amy Dixon (Encinitas, Calif.) and guide Kirsten Sass, as well as Elizabeth Baker (Signal Mountain, Tenn.) and guide Jillian Petersen. Dixon has two bronze medals this season in international competition, earned at the Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI and the Magog ITU Paratriathlon World Cup. She also won the Paratriathlon National Championships and placed fourth at the Tokyo test event. Baker was this year’s Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI champion, and she has two top-five finishes on the 2019 WPS circuit.
Joshua Sweeney (Hillsboro, Ore.) will race in the men’s PTWC division. Sweeney is a gold medalist in sled hockey from the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games and is in his first year as an elite paratriathlete. He has had a standout season to date, highlighted by victories at the Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI and the Paratriathlon National Championships.
Kendall Gretsch (Madison, Wis.), a gold medalist in Nordic skiing at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, is the U.S. representative in the women’s PTWC division. So far this season, Gretsch has earned victories at the Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI, the Besancon ITU Paratriathlon World Cup and the Paratriathlon National Championships.
For all paratriathlon start lists, visit triathlon.org. Click here for explanations of all paratriathlon sport classifications.
The ITU Paratriathlon World Championships are part of the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final taking place in Lausanne from Aug. 29-Sept. 1. The Grand Final marks the culmination of the ITU World Triathlon Series by crowning the men’s and women’s elite world champions, while also featuring world championship events for elite paratriathletes, U23s, juniors and age-group athletes. Visit usatriathlon.org for coverage of all races.
Complete event schedules, course maps and information about the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final is available at lausanne.triathlon.org.
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 events and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors — as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation — 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 & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
