CLAIRE Cashmore continued her push for a place at Paris 2024 with a dominant victory in the paratriathlon PTS5 category at the 2023 World Triathlon Para Cup A Coruna in Spain.
The Redditch athlete was competing in triathlon for the first time this season after winning the European Championships in duathlon at the start of last month.
And Cashmore, who was born without her left forearm, was fastest over the 750m swim leg before crossing the line more than six minutes ahead her nearest rival following the 20.8km bike ride and 5km run.
Cashmore said: “I’m really happy to have crossed the line in first position and it’s nice to see the hard work over the winter has paid off.
“My performance was pretty good, it’s great to feel what it feels like to race a triathlon again. It was my first triathlon of the season after the Europeans were changed to a duathlon, so it was great to have a swim again.
“It’s the first triathlon in the qualifying window for Paris, so it’s great to get some points on the board straight away and it’s a great way to start the season other than the European Games, which was limited points in the end.”
Cashmore won a bronze medal in paratriathlon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and boasts eight Paralympic swimming medals including gold in the 4x100m medley relay at Rio 2016.
The event was one of the opening races in the qualifying window for next year’s Paralympic Games in Paris and Cashmore is now turning her attention to the 2023 World Triathlon Para Series Swansea.
Cashmore will be competing against some of the world’s best paratriathletes in South Wales, including fellow Brit and Tokyo gold medallist Lauren Steadman.
Cashmore added: “It’s really exciting heading to Swansea. I think having the home crowd is going to be fantastic.
“Having a race on home soil where you just have to travel down the road is going to be nice and hopefully the Swansea sun is shining again for us this year.”
