British Triathlon Paratri Super Series champions crowned in Sunderland

The first of this year’s British Triathlon Super Series champions were crowned at the Super Series Grand Final in Sunderland with the winners in the Paratri Super Series celebrating on the seafront of Roker.

Wins for Bret Crossley, Louis Rolfe MBE, Tammy Barrett and Tom Barnard sealed their overall Super Series titles, while there were will also race victories for Colin Wallace, Nathanial Costigan, Stef Reid, Ben Molnar and Katie Crowhurst at the final Paratri Super Series event of the year.

Claire Danson, Felix Barrow, Finley Jakes, Cheryl Went and Dave Ellis also end this year’s Super Series as champions, despite not competing in Sunderland, with the three best results across the series counting towards the overall points total.

Victory on the seafront of Roker cemented Bret Crossley’s place at the top of men’s PTWC standings as he claimed both the race win and the overall Paratri Super Series title in his classification after crossing the line ahead of Jake Woods.

Darren Williams was the only athlete who could have denied Crossley overall victory and, although Williams didn’t compete in Sunderland, Crossley ensured he ended the series on a high beating Woods by over seven minutes to finish 7.33 points ahead of Williams.

Williams ends the Super Series ranked second with Chris Feeley completing this year’s podium.

The overall women’s PTWC winner was already decided with Claire Danson securing the prize as Super Series champion after victories at the first two races of the season and then second place at the British Paratriathlon Championships.

Louis Rolfe MBE only competed in his first triathlon last month, but the Paralympic para-cycling champion ends his debut season as Super Series champion in the men’s PTS2.

After picking-up points in the super sprint race at Eton Dorney and then victory in Swansea two weeks ago, Rolfe claimed the win in Sunderland to overhaul Jack Howitt at the top of the standings.

British men’s PTS3 champion Colin Wallace won in Sunderland, but the overall series title for the men’s PTS3 had already been won by Felix Barrow, thanks to his two wins and a second-place finish in the three races he’s entered in 2022.

The battle for second place in Sunderland race saw Ryan McClure beat Oliver Liddle to the finish line by two seconds.

In the women’s PTS4, Tammy Barrett secured maximum points in Sunderland to defend her Super Series title from last year. Barrett won in Sunderland to add maximum points to the two-second place finishes she had prior to the Grand Final with Shona Brownlee, who didn’t compete in Sunderland, placing second overall.

Ben Molnar was the men’s PTS4 winner in Sunderland, but the overall title went to Finley Jakes who secured the Super Series title after three wins from the first three races with David Jones second.

One of the most exciting races of the day came in the men’s PTS5 which also proved decisive in crowning Tom Barnard as the overall champion. Barnard ends his first year competing in the Super Series as champion after winning in Sunderland.

Michael Salisbury battled back from a puncture on the bike, which saw him run over half a lap to get back to transition, to finish third ahead of Jack Green. The results meant that Barnard overtook Salisbury at the top of the standings with the Sunderland race order also the same on the series podium.

Cheryl Went was competing at IRONMAN Copenhagen, so wasn’t able to be in Sunderland, but had already accumulated enough points to be crowned women’s PTS5 Super Series champion. Stef Reid, who is a multiple Paralympic medallist and world champion in para-athletics, was the women’s PTS5 winner in Sunderland in her first Super Series event.

There was misfortune for Ronnie Robinson and his guide Josh Vail in his pursuit of clinching the overall title away from World, European and Commonwealth champion Dave Ellis. A mechanical ended Robinson’s race early and what would have most likely been another brilliant battle between him and Nathanial Costigan following their close finish in Swansea two weeks ago.

Costigan and his guide Jude Whale won in the final race of this year’s Paratri Super Series and finished second overall behind Dave Ellis with Rhys Jones completing the overall podium.

Commonwealth champion Katie Crowhurst continued her successful summer, totalling maximum points in Sunderland to follow on from her Commonwealth Games gold and silver at the World Triathlon Para Series Swansea.

The full results from British Triathlon Super Series Grand Final Sunderland here.