Paralympics paratriathlon results: Britain's Dave Ellis banishes Tokyo ghosts to claim glorious PTVI gold at Paris 2024

Dave Ellis banished the ghosts of Tokyo 2021 with a brilliant performance to claim Paralympics PTVI paratriathlon gold at Paris 2024 on Monday.

Ellis and Guide Luke Pollard had been favourites for gold in the Japanese capital some three years ago, but their bid for glory was scuppered by mechanical misery and a broken chain on the bike leg.

All the pair did after that was win three World Championship titles and a Commonwealth Games gold. And they confirmed their dominance on the greatest stage of all by surging clear on the run to claim glory in the French capital on Monday.

Swim – Ellis closes the gap

Ellis set off 2:41 after some of his rivals (you can read a full explainer on how all the paratriathlon categories work) but he had pretty much removed that gap by the time the field started to emerge from the River Seine. Satoru Yoneoka of Japan (12:33) headed the leaders with Kyle Coon of the USA (12:40) next and France’s Antoine Perel (12:44) in third. Ellis and Pollard were just now 18 seconds off the pace.

It was a terrific start from the British star and he appeared to be set up nicely for the bike and run to a potential gold medal.

Bike – Classic confrontation shapes up

Ellis and Pollard made a smooth transition through T1 and had already moved up to second by the time they headed out on their tandem on the streets of Paris. Only Perel of France was ahead of them – by just six seconds. Yoneoka was a further eight seconds back in third.

The first half of the bike saw Ellis and Perel cutting out the pace at the front of the race, with the British star just edging things by a couple of seconds. But it was nip and tuck and a fascinating battle at this stage. Owen Cravens of the USA and another French star Thibaut Rigaudeau were closing in fast in third and fourth – they were only 14 and 20 seconds back respectively.

Ellis and Pollard were scorching through the Parisian streets but home favourite Perel and his Guide Yohan Le Berre were really hanging in tough at this stage. It was breathless stuff, and now we waited to see if the second half of the bike leg would provide a decisive hint as to the destination of that gold medal.

By the time reached the three-quarter point of the 20km bike leg, Cravens and his Guide Ben Hoffman had bridged up to the leaders and we had just five seconds three seconds between first and third. It was developing into a classic showdown, with Rigaudeau just a further 12 seconds away in fourth.

The final 2km of the bike saw Ellis and Cravens swapping the lead as a thrilling race became more fascinating by the second. Perel meanwhile was still right there with them in third and Rigaudeau was only seven seconds off the medal positions.

It was hanging right in the balance as the field arrived in T2, with four leaders spanned by just five seconds. Perel and Cravens clocked identical times with Ellis two seconds back in third and Rigaudeau a further three seconds away in fourth. What a race it was turning out to be.

Run – Ellis produces the final surge to gold

We started the 5km run with four athletes right in the mix for gold, but it was Ellis and Pollard who made the first move at the front, building a 20-second lead over Cravens, Rigaudeau and Perel in the first kilometre. Would the move prove to be decisive though?

By halfway on the run it was appearing the answer to that question would be in the affirmative as Ellis and Pollard surged further clear at the front – their advantage over Rigaudeau was now 40 seconds with Perel a further four seconds away in the bronze position. Cravens meanwhile was now on the outside looking in on that medal battle after serving a 10-second penalty.

Ellis and Pollard took the bell with just 1.3km remaining and a dominant lead of now more than a minute. They were within touching distance of that glorious gold. Rigaudeau meanwhile had 12 seconds over Perel in the battle for silver.

Ellis surely knew now that his long wait for Paralympic gold was about to end, and with Pollard providing the ever expert guidance, the pair took the tape to huge cheers from the massive crowds. Rigaudeau was more than a minute back in second with French team-mate Perel claiming bronze.