PTS Women
As a reminder, the PTS categories run from PTS2 to PTS5 and refer to the amputee athletes. PTS2 describes the athletes with the most severe physical impairment while PTS5 contains athletes with milder impairments. All athletes in the PTS groups may race using prosthetics or other supportive devices, subject to World Triathlon approval. You can view the various Para-Triathlon categories here.
Grace Norman led the way in the PTS5 category. The defending world champion produced a consummate performance, logging the fastest split in every discipline. Perhaps most impressive was her 5km run split of 19:00. In doing so she defended her Americas title from 2022.
Norman’s compatriot, Leah Kaplan, came home in 2nd place while Laydis Vega of Panama took 3rd.
In the PTS4 race, Kelly Elmlinger and Emma Meyers went head to head throughout. Meyers grabbed the lead in the swim as she recorded a split of 12:37, gaining over a minute on Elmlinger. On the bike, though, Elmlinger came storming back to overhaul Meyers and turn a 79 second deficit into a lead of over a minute.
As much as Meyers tried to react on the run, she could not match Elmlinger’s speed. In the end, Elmlinger extended her advantage and took the win by 4 minutes 58 seconds.
In the PTS2 race, Hailey Danz and Melissa Stockwell picked up where they left off at the World Championships last November. Defending Paralympic champion Alyssa Seely was due to race but did not start, leaving the gold to be contested between Danz and Stockwell.
Stockwell struck first, gaining 62 seconds over Danz in the water. Danz, however, replied by out-splitting Stockwell by 2 minutes 36 seconds on the bike.
Stockwell began the run well and slowly ate into Danz’s lead. Yet she could not quite make the dents she required and so Danz held on to win.
Meanwhile, Kenia Yesenia Villalobos Vargas of Mexico was the only woman in the PTS3 category. She produced a well-rounded performance to take her maiden Americas title in her first international competition.
PTS Men
In the PTS2 race, Mark Barr was totally dominant. His split of 10:23 in the swim set him up perfectly as he gained two minutes over his next closest rival, Mohamed Lahna.
Lahna managed to recover over a minute on the bike, but Barr remained out of reach. To make his victory unequivocal, Barr then out-ran Lahna by over a minute to rebuild his lead.
Adam Popp took bronze having recorded the second fastest run split of the race.
Meanwhile, the men’s PTS4 race started off as a close affair.
Carson Clough led Eric Mcelvenny and Erik Hultquist out of the water. Mcelvenny’s fast T1 helped him to limit the time he had lost to Clough to 28 seconds. Hultquist slipped off the pace set by Clough and Mcelvenny on the bike as the lead pair almost matched one another’s splits. Clough extended his lead to 34 seconds into T2 but the race was still tight.
It was on the run, though, that Clough shut down any hope for a Mcelvenny win. He ran 18:58 to Mcelvenny’s 20:47 to take the win by over two minutes.
Towards the end of the run, Mcelvenny had to turn his attention from the gold to the bronze as Hultquist charged after him. While, Hultquist’s 19:38 split was not ultimately enough to close the gap, he certainly showed enough to suggest he could be on course for a big season. If he can limit his losses on the bike going forwards, he could become a real threat in the PTS4 class.
Hicham Boufekane was the only athlete in the PTS3 race and he earned his gold with a solid performance.
The closest men’s PTS action of the day, though, came in the PTS5 race.
World champion Stefan Daniel entered Sarasota on a four race winning streak, including his most recent world title in Abu Dhabi. However, it was Ronan Cordeiro of Brazil that led out of the water. Daniel emerged in 2nd place, 2 seconds back.
Cordeiro extended his lead with a fast T1 however Daniel pulled ahead over the bike. Heading into T2, Daniel’s advantage was a mere 19 seconds.
Over the run, Daniel extended his lead despite Cordeiro’s best efforts and he took the win by 44 seconds. Cordeiro came home in 2nd while Chris Hammer took bronze.
PTVI
Mcclain Hermes was the youngest athlete in the women’s visually impaired race but she showed a composure that belied her years as she won the Americas title in spectacular fashion.
Her swim was over a minute faster than the next quickest athlete, Jessica Tuomela of Canada. While Tuomela overhauled Hermes on the bike with a brilliant split, Hermes remained calm. She produced a swift T2 and took the lead back on the run.
Tuomela simply could not respond to Hermes on the run. Moreover, she struggled in vain as Leticia Freitas of Brazil passed her to slot into 2nd place.
The day, though, belonged to Hermes and she will be one to watch this season.
It was a similar story in the men’s race.
Owen Cravens was the youngest man starting but he built a huge lead in the swim. He followed that with the fastest bike and run splits of the field to take the win in style.
Heli De Jesús Casillas Alcalá of Mexico won the silver medal while Francesco Magisano won bronze.
PTWC
The PTWC races are designated for the most impaired wheelchair users through to the least impaired wheelchair users. Athletes use a recumbent handcycle on the bike and a racing wheelchair on the run.
Jessica Ferreira of Brazil took the win in the PTWC class in comfortable fashion. Leanne Taylor of Canada out-split Ferreira on the swim and run (by 4 and 11 seconds, respectively). However Ferreira was untouchable on the bike. Her split of 35:10 was over three minutes faster than Taylor.
Brenda Osnaya Alvarez won the bronze medal ahead of Emelia Perry.
In the men’s race, Fernando Aranha led throughout the swim however Howie Sanborn and Zachary Stinson were quick to wipe away their deficit on the bike. The American duo powered away from Aranha, with Sanborn building a lead of 36 seconds into T2.
On the run, Sanborn was peerless and he out-split Stinson by 87 seconds to earn a comprehensive victory. Stinson, in turn, extended his lead over Aranha to settle the silver and bronze medals.
You can view the full results here.
