“What just happened?” a breathless Andy Lewis gasped moments after crossing the line in the men’s PT2 triathlon. The scale of his achievement had not quite sunk in yet. But there was no need for Lewis to pinch himself. What just happened? He had just become a Paralympic champion.
It was a historic achievement by an athlete who lost his right leg after being hit by a 38-tonne lorry at the age of 16. The triathlon has never appeared in the Paralympic Games before and, although it was a muggy morning in Rio, with grey clouds covering the tips of the hills around the city, the setting for its debut could hardly have been more picturesque. If you have to start the day with a swim, a cycle and a run, there are far worse venues than the Copacabana.
The para-triathlon is an arduous event. While it is half the distance of its Olympic counterpart, the transitions between disciplines are harder. Lewis did not just have to put on trainers when he switched from the bike to the running, he had to put on a new leg. The PT1 triathletes have handlers to help them during the transitions, meaning their performance is partly reliant on someone else.
“I am shocked right now,” Lewis said. “The boys in the British team have been saying to me I am the European, world and now Paralympic champion. When I came across that finish line, I held the tape in the air and wondered whether it was all real. When I have my first beer for two years tonight it might sink in. It’s great to achieve this on a momentous day in Paralympic history.”
It is three years since Lewis, a through-the-knee amputee, started training with the Triathlon England talent squad. He competed in his first race in April 2014 and became the world and European champion this year.
Lewis has not had a simple life. After leaving school in 1999, he decided to join the Parachute Regiment. Lewis trained hard enough to be able to compete for Gloucestershire in cross-country and ran 1.5 miles in 7min 30sec during his army selection. However, just before heading to the infantry training centre at Catterick, Lewis was knocked off his motorbike by that lorry. He was hospitalised for four months and, in his worst moments, struggled to see a future for himself. He had no idea where to turn after his amputation.
Gradually, however, he came to terms with his disability, learning to walk with his prosthetic leg and developing an interest in Para sport after London 2012. He has spoken of how inspirational he found the athletes he watched four years ago. He is one of them now.
Trying to keep up with the array of British golds in Rio is enough to leave your head swimming. After ParalympicsGB athletes topped the podium seven times on Friday, the third day of competition began with Lewis’s landmark triumph. He crossed the line in 1hr 11min 49sec. In the water, on the bike, in the running, no one could keep up with Lewis. Italy’s Michele Ferrarin won silver in 1:12:30 and Morocco’s Mohamed Lahna won bronze in 1:12:35, while GB’s Ryan Taylor finished sixth.
“Paratriathlon is a great addition to the Paralympics and it brings tears to my eyes that I’ll be able to tell my kids that I won this gold medal,” Lewis said.
Elsewhere, George Peasgood finished seventh in the PT4 race and his ParalympicsGB team-mate David Hill came home 10th. Peasgood, the 20-year-old former world bronze medallist, was leading after the swim and bike but fell back on the run. The German world champion, Martin Schultz, took gold. “I had more of a lead after the swim than I expected, I really nailed it,” Peasgood said.
“I tried to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy it. I knew the run would be tough but I did all I could and I’m really happy with the result.”
In the velodrome, there was no reason for Megan Giglia to be disappointed after she missed out on a second cycling medal in the C1-3 500m time trial. Competing in her first Paralympics, Giglia won Britain’s first gold in Rio, on Thursday, dominating the 3km individual pursuit. She was on her way to collecting her second gold after posting a world record time of 41.252sec but was pushed into fifth place. Alyda Norbruis of the Netherlands won gold with a C2 world record time of 36.908.
Giglia, who took up cycling after suffering a stroke at the age of 27, still has the C1-3 time trial and C1-3 road race to come. “I knew it was going to be hard and to be fair some of the C2 riders put out some splendid times and they were faster than me,” the 31-year-old said. “They’ve set the target high and I’m going to aim to be faster next time around.”
