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World Paratriathlon Championship Final results: Breakthrough win for British prodigy as big stars deliver

A mix of familiar names and surprise winners on Friday at the World Triathlon Para Championships in Torremolinos, included a breakthrough British gold
Chief Correspondent
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Friday morning’s racing action at the World Triathlon Championship Finals Torremolinos-Andalucía comprised the World Triathlon Para Championships.

Nine Paralympic Games champions from Paris 2024 raced – Great Britain’s Megan Richter (PTS4) was a late withdrawal – but with a few surprises along the way, only five of those managed to complete the Paralympic Games / World Championship double. One of the reasons for that, was a great performance from a 22-year-old Brit.

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Henry Urand’s big breakthrough

“Look out too for Great Britain’s Henry Urand. Fourth in Paris, the former elite cyclist will lose time in the opening discipline, but he is getting better every race and making incredible progress.” Those were my words in my race preview earlier this week, but that doesn’t mean I was expecting him to win his first World Championship start!

In doing so, he also had to upset the hometown script and beat the Spanish veteran, Daniel Molina, who had claimed the Paralympic Games gold medal at 50 years of age. With limited swim history given his cycling background, despite making incredible progress in his short paratriathlon career, Urand was more than three minutes behind Molina in the PTS3 division.

Germany’s Max Gelhaar led into T2 after the cycle leg, with a narrow 39-second advantage over Molina. Urand however had all but wiped out his swim deficit. Some 18 seconds behind Molina at the dismount line, a swift transition saw him move into second and he set off in chase of the German. Both Urand and Molina were closely matched over the first lap of the run – both passing Gelhaar – but in the second half Urand pulled clear, and finished with a winning advantage of 51 seconds.

World Triathlon Para Championships 2024 Torremolinos - Henry Urand
Photo Credit: Wagner Araujo / World Triathlon

Favourites deliver

If Urand was a surprise, others continue to deliver like clockwork. Into that bracket you can put Alexis Hanquinquant (FRA) in PTS4, Susanna Rodriguez (ESP) in PTVI, Jetze Plat (NED) in PTWC, Dave Ellis (GBR) in PTVI (guided by Luke Pollard), and Grace Norman (USA) in PTS5.

Those para stars all completed the Paralympic Games and World Championship double for 2024, adding more success to already impressive records in the process.

World Triathlon Para Championships 2024 Torremolinos - Dave Ellis / Luke Pollard
Photo Credit: Wagner Araujo / World Triathlon
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Paris redemption

After taking silver in Paris, the USA’s Kendall Gretsch took her first World Championship title since Rotterdam in 2016 in the PTWC division, in the process relegating Australia’s Lauren Parker – Paris gold medallist, and World Champion for the last four editions, to third here. Jessica Ferreira (BRA) matched her Paris silver, to split them.

World Triathlon Para Championships 2024 Torremolinos - Kendall Gretsch
Photo Credit: Wagner Araujo / World Triathlon

After crashing in Paris, Canada’s Stefan Daniel (PTS5) also ended his year on a high with a strong run, while after winning Paralympic gold’s in Rio and Tokyo, the USA’s Alyssa Seely moved on from disappointment at Paris bronze, to add another world title to her C.V.

The closest race of the day came in the women’s PTS4 division. With Megan Richter a DNS, it was Marta Frances Gomez (ESP), the silver medallist it Paris, who took the title by just 10 seconds from Camille Seneclauze (FRA). Injury mid-race meant a DNF for Paralympic Champion Jules Ribstein (FRA) in PTS2, where Belgium’s Wim De Paepe earned a first ever World Championship victory.

World Triathlon Para Championships Torremolinos

Friday 18 October 2024 – 750m swim / 19.2km bike / 5km run

PTVI

Men

  • 1. Dave Ellis (GBR), 0:58:54 (Guide: Luke Pollard)
  • 2. Thibaut Rigaudeau (FRA), 0:59:52
  • 3. Antoine Perel (FRA), 1:00:18

Women

  • 1. Susanna Rodriguez (ESP), 1:05:47 (Guide: Sara Perez Sala)
  • 2. Francesca Tarantello (ITA), 1:07:31
  • 3. Leticia Freitas (BRA), 1:07:45
World Triathlon Para Championships 2024 Torremolinos - Susanna Rodriguez / Sara Perez Sala
Photo Credit: Wagner Araujo / World Triathlon

PTWC

Men

  • 1. Jetze Plat (NED), 0:56:39
  • 2. Florian Brungraber (AUT), 0:58:52
  • 3. Thomas Fruewirth (AUT), 0:59:17
World Triathlon Para Championships 2024 Torremolinos - Jetze Plat
Photo Credit: Wagner Araujo / World Triathlon

Women

  • 1. Kendall Gretsch (USA), 1:07:31
  • 2. Jessica Ferreira (BRA), 1:07:45
  • 3. Lauren Parker (AUS), 1:08:57

PTS5

Men

  • 1. Stefan Daniel (CAN), 0:59:26
  • 2. Jack Howell (AUS), 1:00:14
  • 3. Filipe Marques (POR), 1:00:43
World Triathlon Para Championships 2024 Torremolinos - Stefan Daniel
Photo Credit: Wagner Araujo / World Triathlon

Women

  • 1. Grace Norman (USA), 1:07:05
  • 2. Claire Cashmore (GBR), 1:08:28
  • 3. Lauren Steadman (GBR), 1:10:04
World Triathlon Para Championships 2024 Torremolinos - Grace Norman
Photo Credit: Wagner Araujo / World Triathlon

PTS4

Men

  • 1. Alexis Hanquinquant (FRA), 0:59:57
  • 2. Nil Riudavets Victory (ESP), 1:01:47
  • 3. Pierre Antoine-Baele (FRA), 1:02:20
World Triathlon Para Championships 2024 Torremolinos - Alexis Hanquinquant
Photo Credit: Wagner Araujo / World Triathlon

Women

  • 1. Marta Frances Gomez (ESP), 1:17:15
  • 2. Camille Seneclauze (FRA), 1:17:26
  • 3. Sally Pilbeam (AUS), 1:18:17
World Triathlon Para Championships 2024 Torremolinos - Marta Frances Gomez
Photo Credit: Wagner Araujo / World Triathlon

PTS3

Men

  • 1. Henry Urand (GBR), 1:08:16
  • 2. Daniel Molina (ESP), 1:09:07
  • 3. Max Gelhaar (GER), 1:09:52

Women

  • 1. Elise Marc (FRA), 1:16:45
  • 2. Sanne Koopman (NED), 1:34:54
  • 3. Lina Nuoranne (FIN), 1:45:04
World Triathlon Para Championships 2024 Torremolinos - Elise Marc
Photo Credit: Wagner Araujo / World Triathlon

PTS2

Men

  • 1. Wim De Paepe (BEL), 1:09:46
  • 2. Vasilli Egorov (AIN), 1:11:03
  • 3. Lionel Morales (ESP), 1:11:37
World Triathlon Para Championships 2024 Torremolinos - Wim De Paepe
Photo Credit: Wagner Araujo / World Triathlon

Women

World Triathlon Para Championships 2024 Torremolinos - Alyssa Seely
Photo Credit: Wagner Araujo / World Triathlon
John Levison
Written by
John Levison
TRI247's Chief Correspondent, John has been involved in triathlon for well over 30 years, 15 of those writing on these pages, whilst he can also be found commentating for events across the UK.
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