LAST UPDATE | 2 Sep
TWIN SISTERS JUDITH AND Chloe MacCombe finished outside the medal rankings in this morning’s PTVI Para-Triathlon.
The event had been postponed because of the familiar issue of water quality of the River Seine, and the agony was extended for Chloe as she and her guide Catherine Sands were hit with a 10-second penalty on the transition from bike to run for leaving her equipment outside of the box.
They came in at 6th place with a time of 1.10.32, and without the penalty would have taken Annouck Curzillat’s fifth place.
“We did the best we could. We went out there to cross the line knowing that we had did everything and left everything out there,” said Chloe MacCombe, adding: “That’s what we did.”
Judith, with the help of guide Eimear Nicholls, came in at 8th place with a time of 1.11.17.
Judith, who has been unwell, said: “I have been sick for the last few days. Even getting onto the start line today was incredible. If the race had been yesterday, I wouldn’t even have got the chance to start. So to even be on the start line today was incredible.”
The winner was Susana Rodriguez with a time of 1.04.19.
Cassie Cava finished 12th in the PTS4 event. The 32-year-old is a PTS3 athlete so was facing a tough task.
Cassie Cava finishes 12th in a time of 1:37.29 in the women's Para triathlon PTS4 event #Paris2024 #Paralympics2024
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Cava finished in a time of 1:37.29 after a strong swim and a cycling leg where she dropped back a bit.
Cava fell before the start of the race and struggled to finish.
“It was really tough,” she said. “I was in an awful lot of pain. I slipped on the way to the start. I got up and I think I twisted something in my leg, I don’t know. I was full of adrenaline, got to the start line. I got to the bike and I was in so much pain, I was like, ‘how am I going to do this?’. Each lap I thought, ‘I’ve got to stop, I’ve got to stop’. Just push on, get to the bike’.
“In a way. I’d be devastated if I didn’t finish, if I sat there on the side of the road. I’m really pleased I got up and did what I did to get to the finish. It wasn’t what I came here to do.”
Meanwhile, Colin Judge lost out to Panfeng Feng in the table tennis MS3 round of 16 singles tie, 3-0.
The Dubliner pushed the world No 1 from China all the way in the first two sets which he ultimately lost 11-7 and 11-8.
Feng dominated the third set, winning seven points in a row to secure it by 11-3.
- With reporting from Emma Duffy in Paris