USA Paratriathlon Nationals Return to Austin in 2015

The 2015 USA Paratriathlon National Championships return to Austin, Texas, on May 25 in conjunction with the Life Time Tri CapTex. 

Top American paratriathletes will race for national titles in five sport classes on a 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike, 5-kilometer run course through downtown Austin. This will be the third time Life Time Tri CapTex will host USA Paratriathlon Nationals. The championship event was originally slated to take place in Austin in 2014 but relocated due to a change in the paratriathlon classification process. Qualification information for the 2015 event will be available at usatriathlon.org at a later date.

"We are thrilled to once again join forces with Life Time Tri CapTex and the City of Austin to welcome and celebrate our nation's best paratriathletes," said Rob Urbach, USA Triathlon CEO. "With the 2016 Paralympic Games on the horizon, this is an excellent opportunity to showcase the talents of these inspiring athletes to a community that has hosted one of the leading triathlons in the U.S. for over two decades."

"At Life Time, the Healthy Way of Life Company, we are both honored and excited for the opportunity to again host the USA Paratriathlon National Championships," said Kimo Seymour, President of Events and Media at Life Time. "This is the fourth time we have hosted this inspirational event and we look forward to hosting paratriathletes as part of a field of 3,000 athletes at the CapTex Triathlon in 2015."

 USA Paratriathlon Nationals is the first of three top-level paratriathlon competitions held in the U.S. in 2015. The Detroit Triathlon was named host of the 2015 Detroit ITU World Paratriathlon Event, slated for Aug. 16. The 2015 season will end in Chicago at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final and World Championships from Sept. 15-20, with ITU Paratriathlon Worlds tentatively scheduled for Sept. 19. Top finishes at USA Paratriathlon Nationals, the Detroit ITU World Paratriathlon Event and the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships will count toward the ITU Paratriathlon Rankings.

Paratriathlon makes its Paralympic debut at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Paralympic Games in September 2016. Three of five sport classes for men and women will be contested in the sport's introduction to the Paralympic program: PT1, PT2 and PT4 for men, and PT2, PT4 and PT5 for women. The ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in Chicago is a qualifying event for National Federations, with the top finisher in each of the six selected sport classes earning their National Federation a spot for the Paralympic Games. More on ITU's Paralympic Games Qualification is available at triathlon.org.

For more information on USA Paratriathlon and its grassroots, military and elite programming, visit usaparatriathlon.org.

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).