Ireland has a new world champion, after Tojo Lazzari won gold in the PTS4 category at the Duathlon World Championships in Spain on Sunday. Lazzari’s win was the first of three medals won by Triathlon Ireland’s paratriathlon squad over the weekend with Donnacha McCarthy and Leo Hynes also on the podium. Lazzari’s win was his first major championship gold medal and comes one month after he won the Irish Paraduathlon National Championships.
The duathlon event in Spain was staged over a sprint distance course, consisting of a 5km run, 20km bike and 2.5km run. Lazzari was fastest of the day on both runs and on the bike course to finish more than six minutes ahead of second placed Jorge Orejon Miguel from Spain.
Later in the day Donnacha McCarthy (with guide Stephen Teeling-Lynch) and Leo Hynes (guide David Tilly) finished second and third respectively in the PTVI duathlon event. This meant all three athletes sent to the games by Triathlon Ireland came home with medals – a promising result ahead of the start of Paralympic Qualification in June.
The ITU Multisport World Championships competition continue for the rest of this week in Pontevedra, Spain with Leo Hynes and guide David Tilly racing again on Thursday, 2nd May in the World Para-Aquathlon Championships.
