Chennai: India’s first Para Triathlon is set to take place in Chennai. It is set to be organized alongside ITF open triathlon and mixed relay qualification starting on September 24th. The para Triathlon is scheduled for September 26th at Sri Ramachandra University campus.
What is Para Triathlon?
Paratriathlon is a variant of the triathlon for athletes with a physical disability. Which includes a combination of swimming, cycling, and running. It Was first held as a Paralympic event at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The event details
As many as 24 para-athletes are set to take part in the event. It also includes 2 visually impaired parathletes. Given the course in Chennai, ITF has included all the categories except wheelchair athletes. The para triathletes have to complete a super sprint distance including 250m of swimming, 7 km cycling, and 1.5km running.
It will be conducted by the Tamil Nadu Triathlon association under the tutelage of the Indian Triathlon federation. It will be used as the 1st qualifier for the upcoming Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
Future Prospects
Athletes with the best timing in the sprint distance, mixed team relay, and Olympic distance will be for the national camps. And will have a shot to compete for India in the upcoming international events.
