Para Triathlon

Introduction

Paratriathlon is a Paralympic sport which is an adaptation of triathlon for athletes with physical disabilities. It is a sprint race which consists of 750 m swimming, 20 km cycling and 5 km running. In cycling phase/event, athletes may use a tandem bicycle, hand cycle or bicycle and in the running phase, wheelchairs are permitted. The sport became a part of the Summer Paralympics in 2016 and the sprint distance event of Paratriathlon is also included in the ITU Triathlon World Championships.

Objective

To complete all the three disciplines in the fastest time possible while following all the predetermined rules. The overall time of the athlete is inclusive of the "transition" time which is taken by players to change gear for the next segment (from swimming to cycling and from cycling to running).

Events

Sprint

Para Triathlon only include sprint distances which consists of the following three events:-

• Swimming- 0.75 km
• Cycling- 20 km
• Running- 5 km

Participants

Male and female para-athletes compete as individuals in Paratriathlon events in five disability classes based on their physical disabilities.

Playing Area

The playing area of Paratriathlon consists of the racing courses and the transition area where athletes change gear for different disciplines of the race. Swimming often takes place in open-water followed by road cycling and then running which takes place usually on public roads and streets.

Officials

Race Director

Organizer of the event.

Race Referee

Responsible for ensuring that all rules are followed during the competition and all his decisions are considered to be final like that of penalties and disqualifications, protest handling and so on.

Race Officials

Separate officials for swimming, cycling and running are responsible for the proper conduct of these events.

Marshals

Direct the athletes on cycling and running tracks.

Timekeepers

For recording the time taken by each competitor to complete the race.