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Daniel takes fourth world title while Tuomela gets bronze in Lausanne

Calgary’s Stefan Daniel continued his winning ways, while Jessica Tuomela and guide Marianne Hogan captured the bronze medal at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championship in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Stefan Daniel takes the 2019 Paratriathlon World Championship in Lausanne, Switzerland. Photo: ITU Media/ Delly Carr

Daniel, who took the silver medal at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, beat the defending Paralympic gold medalist, Martin Schulz, by just over a minute. The 22-year-old continued his unbeaten streak in Lausanne – he’s won all three of his World Paratriathlon Series races in 2019.

“I tried to have a good swim and keep within a reasonable distance of (George) Peasgood,” Daniel said after his race. “After I passed him on the first lap of the bike, I kept it consistent. The bike was hilly, which was perfect for me, but I didn’t feel the need to cook it because I knew I could take it on the run.”

Third went to American Chris Hammer.

Jessica Tuomela, a former Paralympic swimmer from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. and her guide Marianne Hogan from Montreal, who have only been paired for three months, took the bronze medal in the women’s visually impaired category. It’s an improvement of one spot for 36-year-old Tuomela after her fourth place finish last year.

“It came as a bit of a surprise to be honest,” Tuomela said. “I feel I’m still a bit of a development athlete, and on the bubble, but I know it’s in there. When it comes out it feels awesome and that is really exciting.”

“The bike was our biggest concern, but we handled it well, attacked every hill and pushed through and progressed through the run,” Hogan said of their race.

Tuomela fell during the 5 km run, but got up to finish the race in medal-winning style.

“When I got to the run my legs didn’t feel good climbing the hills. We kept trying to progress and were getting faster and faster. I took a little tumble. That happens when you are a blind athlete, but I picked myself up and kept going,” Tuomela said.

Spain’s Susana Rodriguez won the gold medal in the women’s visually impaired race, while Melissa Reid took the silver medal.

For the second year in a row Dieppe, N.B.’s Kamylle Frenette finished fourth in the PTS5 cateogry, while Ottawa’s Jon Dunkerley paired with his guided James Cook to take 13th in the men’s visually impaired division.

With files from Chris Dornan/ Triathlon Canada