Canada has a strong international presence in para triathlon. We have some of the best athletes in the world who are inspiring Canadians with disabilities to try our sport. Triathlon Canada is developing a pool of events across Canada that we can promote as being open and accessible to para-athletes at any level.
Most events can easily incorporate a para triathlon competition! Not all courses are ideal for all para classes, but we are hoping to shift away from an “all or none” attitude towards promotion of para triathlon. Instead, we have created a way to clearly designate events geared towards each class. Our goal is to have at least one event for each para triathlon class in every province as a start and continue to build up our portfolio of para races from there.
Some education is required to help race organizers better understand how to be inclusive. The following provides details on para triathlon classes and what is needed to support them.
Community para triathlon events are typically organized as an “open” para triathlon competition. This means that all athletes designating as para are competing together in a single category. However, there are some basics to understand in order to run a great para triathlon event.
Classification is the process through which athletes are designated into specific competition classes. This is only necessary for elite competitions, but this provides a great way to understand what kinds of adaptations may be required to host para-athletes at any level. Para triathlon includes three broad classes:
- Standing class (PTS)
- Visually impaired class (PTVI)
- Wheelchair class (PTWC)
To learn more, please download the Triathlon Canada Paratriathlon Guide HERE.