Lauren Parker wins bronze at paratriathlon test but has world title in her sights
Lauren Parker has two weeks to figure out how to turn bronze into gold after putting the heat on rivals at the Tokyo Paralympic test event.
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Lauren Parker kept her cool to win a bronze at the Paralympic Test event in Tokyo last weekend but she already has her sights set on something with a bit more bling.
The Newcastle triathlete said a bronze in a race where her favourite swim leg was taken out due to concerns over water quality was encouraging ahead of her quest for a world crown in Europe from August 29.
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Parker, who raced to a bronze at last year’s Commonwealth Games, finished behind Australian teammate Emily Tapp in the 2.25km run, 20km cycle and 5km run duathlon with Wakaako Ttschilda from Japan claiming boasting rights ahead of next year’s race.
“I am happy with this result. It’s encouraging given my strongest leg was taken out,’’ she said.
“Who knows what I could have done. I was going out there to win.’’
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Earlier this year Parker, who broke her back in a high-speed training accident in 2017 and now races in a wheelchair and hand cycle, beat Tapp, a world champion and Commonwealth Games silver medallist to the win the Oceania title.
She is now hoping to repeat the feat in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“I’m racing for the gold,’’ Parker said from Japan after a test event many competitors struggled to complete due to high temperatures and humidity.
“The Lausanne world championship is my main goal for the year.
“I got bronze last year and I'm chasing gold this time.
“This is a great confidence boost for me.’’
Unlike the majority of her rivals, Parker said she relished the conditions in Tokyo.
The 30-year-old was a regular competitor at the Hawaii ironman triathlon world championship in Kona before her accident in 2015.
“The hotter the better for me,’’ she said.
“The race showed some of the other athletes couldn’t handle the heat at all.
“I think training for the ironman in Kona for so many years, I have just thrive in it.’’
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Originally published as Lauren Parker wins bronze at paratriathlon test but has world title in her sights
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