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Rio qualification on the line in Lisbon

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Rio qualification is on the line for Great Britain’s paratriathletes this Friday at the ETU European Championships in Lisbon. With additional ranking points on offer, athletes need to move up to the top seven in the world to secure a slot for ParalympicsGB in Rio

Defending European Champions, Lauren Steadman (PT4) and Alison Patrick (PT5) already have their Rio qualification confirmed, but this is a crucial weekend for the Paralympic dreams of the rest of the British squad who travel to Lisbon with them.

Continental championships offer fifty percent more ranking points than ITU World Paratriathlon Events, with the best three scores since last summer counting for each athlete. Good performances in Lisbon will allow British athletes to move up the rankings given that all other continental championships have already taken place.

Jonathon Riall, Head Paratriathlon Coach for British Triathlon commented: “A few of our athletes are ranked eighth or ninth. This is their best opportunity to move up and qualify a national slot for Great Britain.”

He added: “But I don’t want them to get hung up by rankings. There have been some excellent performances this season so far, and they have a really solid winter behind them, so they should take a lot of confidence into this weekend.”

The qualification window will close on 20 June, after which time British Triathlon can nominate athletes to ParalympicsGB for selection. However, there may be additional invitational slots that are extended after this date, so the full squad for Rio will not be know until the end of July.

Great Britain Paratriathlon Squad; Lisbon ETU European Championships; Friday 27 May at 4pm local time; 750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run:

PT1:

Phil Hogg (46, Derby / Loughborough)

Joe Townsend (28, Eastbourne / Loughborough)

Lizzie Tench (41, Malpas)

PT2:

Andy Lewis (33, Lydney / Loughborough)

PT4:

Dave Hill (27, Exmouth / Loughborough)

George Peasgood (20, Saffron Walden / Loughborough)

Clare Cunningham (Cambridge / Loughborough)

Faye McClelland (36, Eastbourne / Loughborough)

Lauren Steadman (23, Peterborough / Portsmouth)

PT5:

Alison Patrick (28, Dunfermline / Loughborough) + Guide, Hazel Smith

Melissa Reid (25, Truro) + Guide, Nicole Walters

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