With four top-ranked paratriathletes and four returning world championship medalists, a squad of 16 American paratriathletes will compete in five classification divisions on Saturday at the 2014 ITU Paratriathlon World Championships.
Hailey Danisewicz is set to defend her 2013 world title on Saturday in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Janos Schmidt/USA Triathlon)
Paratriathlon Worlds is slated for Saturday, Aug. 30, at 3:30 p.m. MT. A free finish line camera, live commentary and live results will be available on triathlon.org. Athletes will complete a 750-meter swim, 20.4-kilometer bike and 4.6-kilometer run in Hawrelak Park, which is also the site of the 2014 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final on Saturday and Sunday.
Hailey Danisewicz (Chicago, Ill.) leads the U.S. team into Edmonton as the 2013 world champion of the TRI-2 division, now known as PT2. Other 2013 medalists returning to the Paratriathlon Worlds roster are silver medalist Aaron Scheidies (PT5, Seattle, Wash.) and bronze medalists Mark Barr (PT2, Houston, Texas) and Krige Schabort (PT1, Rome, Ga.).
Danisewicz and Scheidies currently are at the top of the world rankings in the respective divisions, along with Jamie Brown (PT3, Carlsbad, Calif.) and Patricia Walsh (PT5, Austin, Texas). The complete paratriathlon world rankings are available at triathlon.org.
U.S. paratriathletes have posted top results throughout the 2014 season in ITU World Paratriathlon events around the globe. Additionally, Barr, Brown, Danisewicz, Scheidies, Walsh each posted the victories in their respective divisions at the June 1 PATCO Paratriathlon Championships in Dallas, Texas, along with fellow Paratriathlon Worlds team members Kendall Gretsch (PT1, Madison, Wis.) and Allysa Seely (PT3, Glendale, Ariz.).
By virtue of their finishes in high-level races, Barr, Brown, Gretsch, Scheidies and Walsh have all earned a place on the USA Paratriathlon National B Team, while Chris Hammer (PT4, Salt Lake City, Utah) is currently a member of the Emerging Team. Athletes may qualify for the USA Paratriathlon National A Team with a gold medal finish in Edmonton on Saturday.
Interest in paratriathlon is at an all-time high as the sport approaches its Paralympic Games debut in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. Visit usaparatriathlon.org for more on the sport of paratriathlon and the five competitive divisions.
In addition to Paratriathlon Worlds and the Grand Final, the weekend also features junior and under-23 events, as well as sprint and Olympic-distance age-group triathlon world championships. Visit usatriathlon.org for full coverage of each race.
2014 USA Paratriathlon Worlds Team Roster
Mark Barr (PT2, Houston, Texas)
Jamie Brown (PT3, Carlsbad, Calif.)
Mary Kate Callahan (PT1, La Grange, Ill.)
Hailey Danisewicz (PT2, Chicago, Ill.)
Amy Dixon (PT5, Greenwich, Conn.)
Kendall Gretsch (PT1, Madison, Wis.)
Chris Hammer (PT4, Salt Lake City, Utah)
Diana Helt (PT1, Chicago, Ill.)
Geoffrey Kennedy (PT1, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico)
Grace Norman (PT4, Jamestown, Ohio)
Justin Meaders (PT1, Keller, Texas)
Joel Rosinbum (PT4, Austin, Texas)
Krige Schabort (PT1, Rome, Ga.)
Aaron Scheidies (PT5, Seattle, Wash.)
Allysa Seely (PT3, Glendale, Ariz.)
Patricia Walsh (PT5, Austin, Texas)
About USA Triathlon: USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 races and connects with nearly 500,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches and race directors on the grassroots level, USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
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