Para-triathlon

Sports Summary

Para-triathlon was added to the Paralympic Program in 2010 by the International Paralympic Committee. The sport will make its first appearance at the Paralympic Games at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.

Para-triathlon is a multidisciplinary endurance sport that challenges athletes to a continuous race over three disciplines: 750m of swimming, followed by 20km of cycling and 5km of running. The sport is designed to embrace as many athletes as possible, while testing a variety of key skills. Competition categories are based on types of impairment. Depending on the category, an athlete may use a handcycle, tandem bicycle or bicycle on the bike course, while wheelchairs are permitted on the run portion.

Links
Triathlon Australia
International Triathlon Union
International Paralympic Committee

Events & Disciplines

Paratriathlon events are for athletes with physical and visual impairments.
Sprint Distance Triathlon – 750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run.

Classification

Who is eligible for Para-triathlon? Athletes with a physical impairment or vision impairment.

What are the classes? Athletes are classified into classes depending on their functional ability. There are 5 classes for Para-triathlon.

Athletes with a physical impairment: PT 1-4
Athletes with a vision impairment: PT 5

Classification Masterlist: Triathlon Australia manages the National Para-triathlon Classification Masterlist. This list includes athletes who have been classified as per ITU Classification Rules or Paralympics Australia Classification Policy.

More: Para-triathlon Classification Information Sheet (updated November 2019)

Rules & Equipment

Rules and equipment for athletes depend on their classification. Rules and regulations are available at: www.triathlon.org/paratriathlon/

Contacts

We encourage those wishing to explore Para-triathlon to contact their state federation in the first instance. The national federation link below provides information on the national high performance program leading to competing internationally and at the Paralympic Games.

National Federation
	Organisation	Website
	Triathlon Australia	triathlon.org.au
State Federations
State	Organisation	Website
ACT	Triathlon ACT	bit.ly/Triathlon-ACT
NSW	Triathlon NSW	bit.ly/Triathlon-NSW
NT	Triathlon NT	bit.ly/Triathlon-NT
QLD	Triathlon QLD	bit.ly/Triathlon-QLD
SA	Triathlon SA	bit.ly/Triathlon-SA
TAS	Triathlon TAS	bit.ly/Triathlon-TAS
VIC	Triathlon VIC	triathlonvictoria.org.au
WA	Triathlon WA	triwa.com.au