Thirty-four top paratriathletes from across the United States, including four defending national champions and one Paralympic bronze medallist, will compete this Sunday, June 24, at the USA Paratriathlon National Championships in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.
The event will take place in conjunction with the Pleasant Prairie Triathlon at Prairie Springs Park for the second consecutive year. The course features a sprint-distance 750m swim in Lake Andrea, a 20K bike on flat and fast roads in the Village of Pleasant Prairie, and a 5K run on paved paths, finishing within Prairie Springs Park. The first wave of athletes is set to start at 06:30 CT.
Athletes will compete for national titles in six paratriathlon sport classes. Four defending champions are currently on the start list, including Allan Armstrong (Colorado Springs, Colo., PTS2), Brian Norberg (West Des Moines, Iowa, PTS3), Howie Sanborn (Denver, Colo., PTWC) and Kendall Gretsch (Madison, Wis., PTWC).
After earning her paratriathlon national title last June, Gretsch took a break from the sport to train for the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in cross-country skiing and biathlon. She had an impressive showing in PyeongChang, earning gold medals in the 6k biathlon and 12k cross-country events. This weekend will mark Gretsch’s first competitive triathlon since last year’s race in Pleasant Prairie.
Also on the start list is 2016 Paralympic bronze medalist Melissa Stockwell (Chicago, Ill., PTS2), who returned to elite competition last fall after giving birth to her second child, daughter Millie, in August. Stockwell earned a silver medal at the Sarasota-Bradenton ITU Paratriathlon World Cup last October and grabbed gold at the Eton Dorney ITU Paratriathlon World Cup in May.
Other notable athletes returning to Paratriathlon Nationals include 2018 ITU World Paratriathlon Yokohama bronze medalist Ahalya Lettenberger (Glen Ellyn, Ill., PTWC), 2017 Sarasota-Bradenton ITU Paratriathlon World Cup silver medalist Ashley Eisenmenger (Tolono, Ill., PTVI), and 2017 Magog ITU Paratriathlon World Cup gold medalist Joel Rosinbum (Austin, Texas, PTS4).
Top-performing athletes at Paratriathlon Nationals who are not already members of the USA Paratriathlon National Team will be considered for the USA Paratriathlon Development Team Program, designed to identify and develop athletic potential in the lead-up to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
To compete at Paratriathlon Nationals, athletes must be officially classified and have competed at a USA Triathlon or ITU Sanctioned Event that meets distance and time standards between May 1, 2017, and May 28, 2018. A national classification opportunity will be offered in Pleasant Prairie prior to the race. For more information, athletes can contact USA Paratriathlon Program Senior Manager Amanda Duke Boulet via amanda.duke[at]usatriathlon.org.
Sunday’s event will also feature a Physically Challenged Open Division, available to paratriathletes who are not classified or do not meet the qualifying time standards. This wave has no qualification criteria and does not qualify athletes for national titles.
In total, 55 paratriathletes are registered to compete in either the National Championship event or the Physically Challenged Open Division. Of the athletes on the start list, 25 are active-duty or retired members of the US military.
Live coverage of Paratriathlon Nationals will be available @USATLive on Twitter.
The Pleasant Prairie Triathlon will also serve as the Wisconsin High School Triathlon State Championships, and high school athletes will compete on the same 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run course. Wisconsin is one of 36 states offering high school state championships in 2018.
