By Jonty Ralphsmith
Berwick Paratriathlete Jack Howell has finished seventh at his Paralympic debut.
Racing in the PTS-5 event on Monday alongside fellow Aussie David Bryant, who finished eighth, the 20-year-old was four years or more younger than his nine competitors.
Howell started strongly with his 750-metre swim leg in the word famous Seine River putting him third at the first transition.
But he fell behind in his 20-kilometre cycle, traditionally his weakest leg as the micro-vibrations of the cobblestones which made up the course took a toll.
Typically a strong runner, he was unable to make up any ground on the last leg, crossing the finish line with a time of 1:02:21.
While it was Howell’s weakest time on the international stage since November 2022, competing was an excellent experience given most Paratriathletes don’t peak until their late-20s.
“For me it’s about fulfilling a childhood dream,” Howell told the Pakenham Gazette ahead of the games.
“I said when I was 10 that I wanted to go to the Paralympics and I didn’t care what sport that was in.
“My other motivator is the people I’ve met and got to train with everyday – I wouldn’t be in a place like Gold Coast if it wasn’t for the sport.
Howell spent early 2024 living in Queensland to train under the tutelage of 2012 Australian Olympic triathlete Brendan Sexton.
“(Sexton) told me that ‘however competitive you thought a normal world championship year is, double it in a Paralympic or Olympic year’ and he’s not lying,” Howell said.
“The racing is like no other and the crowd noise is a little bit bigger.”
The triathlon and paratriathlon at the 2024 Olympics has been marred in controversy due to the water quality of the Seine River, with Howell’s race subsequently delayed by a day.
Howell was born with an absence of the hand and shortening of the left forearm, known as symbrachydactly.
Thus, his left hand sits in a cup-like device during the cycle, allowed in his category where athletes race with mild impairments and are permitted to use supporting devices.
