Triathlon Ireland is delighted to have been affiliated to Paralympics Ireland at their recent AGM held in Dublin.
With paratriathlon set to form part of the Rio 2016 Olympics, Triathlon Ireland are keen to develop the sport and identify and support athletes both at an age group level and those with hopes of representing Ireland at the Olympic Games.
Triathlon Ireland’s newly appointed president Locklann Walsh was on hand to thank Paralympics Ireland for accepting Triathlon Ireland into the Paralympic family.
“We are very excited to be a part of the Paralympics family and see great potential in growing paratriathlon in the future. 2012 was the first running of a Paratriathlon National Championships in Ireland and while there were a small number of participants it marked an important step in our development. This year again we will host the National Championships in Athlone and expect to see a large growth in the number taking part.”
“Just last weekend in the first Vodafone National Series race of the season we were inspired to see paratriathlete Tadhg Kenehan complete the tough sprint distance race in 1hr 38mins.”
“Meanwhile visually impaired triathlete Nicolas Dwaque was representing Ireland in San Diego where he picked up a silver medal.”
With a real opportunity of paratriathletes bringing back medals from Rio 2016, building on the work already done at age group and high performance level is a priority for Triathlon Ireland. Paralympics Ireland had an impressive haul of 16 medals in London and we believe there are paratriathletes out there who can help add to this total.
The Paratriathlon National Championships takes place in Athlone on the 6th of July. Details can be found on www.triathlonireland.com
Image attached FOC:
Visually impaired triathlete Tony Ward with guide Mark Riseley at the inaugural Paratriathlon National Championships in Athlone.
Video Footage:
Highlights of the 2012 Olympic Distance and Paratriathlon National Championships here
Tony Ward, 2012 Paratriathlon National Champion Interview here