Para-Triathlon Prepares for First Paralympics

(ATR) Athletes participating in the Aquece Rio para-triathlon test event predict a great debut for the sport at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.

Rio 2016 held a test event for para-triathlon on Aug. 1, the first test event organized by the organizing committee since the previous sailing test event in August 2014. Three races for seven men’s and women’s classes took place, with favorable reviews from athletes.

"This is probably the best organized [race] I’ve been at so far," Bill Chaffey, Australian world champion, said before the race to journalists.

"Racing on Copacabana beach such a world class atmosphere just adds to it."

Racers began the swim in the Atlantic Ocean, before biking and running along the famed Avenida Atlântica that runs along the beach.

"Rio has been awesome, with great food, great people, and really awesome hospitality," Hailey Danesewicz, United States para-triathlete and winner of the Women’s PT2 race, said after crossing the finish line.

"This was amazing. One of the greatest venues I’ve raced at. I’m really honored to be one of the pioneers in the sport. Not that many people can say they went to the first Paralympic event for their sport, and I think all of us are just so lucky to be able to do that."

Ahead of the event, athletes and officials said they were not concerned about potential issues that could arise in the water. Rio officials have come under fire recently over a damning report from the AP that has criticized organizers for downplaying the risk Rio’s polluted waters could post health-wise to athletes.

"I was a bit nervous with all these rumors about the water, and for me it was a bit salty, but I got ahead and had a really good swim," Lauren Steadman, para-triathlete from Great Britain and winner of the women’s PT4 race, said.

"It’s just got a fantastic atmosphere and it’s vibrant. I think it’s a fantastic thing for the Paralympic Games. Now you know what to expect next year and you can prepare better."

For organizers, the event serves to test how operations will be handled a year from now at the start of the Games.International Triathlon Union sporting director Gergely Markus said in a press conference ahead of the event that staging the event with "environmental conditions with what we can expect," during the Olympics was imperative.

"The test event is really important for us to see if things work on paper work in reality as well," Markus added.

Not all athletes found the swim to be enjoyable, with Men’s PT4 winner Martin Schulz from Germany saying the swim caused "problems" for his race. Schulz said that it was the salt from the ocean - rather than potential pollution - that messed with him.

"The water was not so good for me, and after the first bike course was not so great," Schulz said post-race.

"It was very impressive here to start in Copacabana. I don’t like the bike course. It’s too easy. There are no hills, I like really technical courses, but the run was good. I hope next year is better, especially for the run and the swim."

Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.