AFTER A GRUELLING hour-and-ten-minutes or so, and going head-to-head at their first Paralympic Games, Ireland’s triathlon twins were reunited. Sisters in arms.
Chloe MacCombe got home first in the PTVI class. Sixth overall in 1:10.32 alongside her guide, Catherine Sands.
Judith followed 45 seconds later, accompanied by Eimear Nicholls in eighth.
Shortly after finishing, Judith — who has been unwell in recent days — doubled over. Chloe put an arm on her twin’s shoulder and joined her on the ground. They shared a word and Judith jokingly pushed Chloe away, before they both stood up and warmly embraced one another.
“I reminded her that if I was healthy I would have won!” Judith joked.
“The sibling rivalry is always there. No matter what the outcome, we are always proud of each other. She knew I had been sick the past few days. She was proud that I was able to be here and race alongside her.”
“For Judith to be on the start line today was a real feat,” said Chloe. “It was absolutely phenomenal to see her out there pushing hard and spurring us on as well. It was just class.
“The sibling rivalry is a real motivator.”
The Derry sisters, who have vision impairments, never really spoke about who might cross the line first at their first Paralympics. For their family, it must have been both special and stressful.
Advertisement
“Maybe [they] worried about [us] falling out with each other afterwards, having to deal with that,” Chloe said. “We knew we were going to be proud of each other no matter where we finished. Whoever finished first, we were going to celebrate each other’s victories.”
Chloe MacCombe with her guide Catherine Sands. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
The 11 triathlon events were originally due to take place yesterday, but were postponed because of the familiar issue of the water quality in the River Seine. This was frustrating for most, but a blessing for Judith MacCombe, who wouldn’t have made it after a vomiting bug over the weekend.
The heart of Paris was the perfect setting for a whirlwind day of Para Triathlon. The races were intermittent, then intertwined, and a thrilling viewing experience was enhanced by the beautiful surroundings at Pont Alexandre III and the Eiffel Tower in the backdrop.
It was a 750m swim, a 20km cycle and then a 5km run — in 24-degree heat, though it felt a lot hotter. The sun beamed down while supporters tried their best to keep track of the action through the laps; the French athletes roared home with repeated, ‘Allez, Allez, Allez’.
The starts were chaotic into the Seine, the transitions breathless. There was full trust put in sighted guides. Amputee athletes were lifted out of the water, with prosthetics reattached, and other times, changed. It was remarkable to watch.
Chloe MacCombe was penalised for her transition between the bike and the run, docked 10 seconds for leaving equipment outside the allocated box. She may have finished fifth only for that. At that juncture, she was just 13 seconds ahead of Judith — 50:23 — but she put daylight between them in their strongest discipline.
Judith “wasn’t herself” and “would usually run a minute quicker,” according to her guide Eimear Nicholls, but the goal here was to simply finish.
Cassie Cava on her way to finishing. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
Cassie Cava, in the later PTS4 event, had a similar change of ambitions at the 11th hour.
Cava, who had an elective amputation after years of pain caused by club foot, slipped and injured herself before the race began. She was in a huge amount of pain as the adrenaline wore off.
“How am I going to do this?” she asked herself, the PTS3 athlete’s challenge of competing in a higher class increasing.
“Each lap I thought, ‘I’ve got to stop.’
“I just can’t.”
She had to take a break from the run, and take her prosthetic off in the first aid room. Seeing the only other PTS3 athlete in the race encouraged her to go again.
“I thought, ‘We didn’t come here to quit’. If she can do it, I can do it,” an emotional Cava said after finishing 12th overall in 1:37.29.
“One foot in front of the other and get to the finish.”
An achievement in itself, like for Judith McCombe and so many others.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
'I reminded her that if I was healthy I would have won!' - Sibling rivalry at Para Triathlon
AFTER A GRUELLING hour-and-ten-minutes or so, and going head-to-head at their first Paralympic Games, Ireland’s triathlon twins were reunited. Sisters in arms.
Chloe MacCombe got home first in the PTVI class. Sixth overall in 1:10.32 alongside her guide, Catherine Sands.
Judith followed 45 seconds later, accompanied by Eimear Nicholls in eighth.
Shortly after finishing, Judith — who has been unwell in recent days — doubled over. Chloe put an arm on her twin’s shoulder and joined her on the ground. They shared a word and Judith jokingly pushed Chloe away, before they both stood up and warmly embraced one another.
“I reminded her that if I was healthy I would have won!” Judith joked.
“For Judith to be on the start line today was a real feat,” said Chloe. “It was absolutely phenomenal to see her out there pushing hard and spurring us on as well. It was just class.
“The sibling rivalry is a real motivator.”
The Derry sisters, who have vision impairments, never really spoke about who might cross the line first at their first Paralympics. For their family, it must have been both special and stressful.
“Maybe [they] worried about [us] falling out with each other afterwards, having to deal with that,” Chloe said. “We knew we were going to be proud of each other no matter where we finished. Whoever finished first, we were going to celebrate each other’s victories.”
The 11 triathlon events were originally due to take place yesterday, but were postponed because of the familiar issue of the water quality in the River Seine. This was frustrating for most, but a blessing for Judith MacCombe, who wouldn’t have made it after a vomiting bug over the weekend.
The heart of Paris was the perfect setting for a whirlwind day of Para Triathlon. The races were intermittent, then intertwined, and a thrilling viewing experience was enhanced by the beautiful surroundings at Pont Alexandre III and the Eiffel Tower in the backdrop.
It was a 750m swim, a 20km cycle and then a 5km run — in 24-degree heat, though it felt a lot hotter. The sun beamed down while supporters tried their best to keep track of the action through the laps; the French athletes roared home with repeated, ‘Allez, Allez, Allez’.
The starts were chaotic into the Seine, the transitions breathless. There was full trust put in sighted guides. Amputee athletes were lifted out of the water, with prosthetics reattached, and other times, changed. It was remarkable to watch.
Chloe MacCombe was penalised for her transition between the bike and the run, docked 10 seconds for leaving equipment outside the allocated box. She may have finished fifth only for that. At that juncture, she was just 13 seconds ahead of Judith — 50:23 — but she put daylight between them in their strongest discipline.
Judith “wasn’t herself” and “would usually run a minute quicker,” according to her guide Eimear Nicholls, but the goal here was to simply finish.
Cassie Cava, in the later PTS4 event, had a similar change of ambitions at the 11th hour.
Cava, who had an elective amputation after years of pain caused by club foot, slipped and injured herself before the race began. She was in a huge amount of pain as the adrenaline wore off.
“How am I going to do this?” she asked herself, the PTS3 athlete’s challenge of competing in a higher class increasing.
“Each lap I thought, ‘I’ve got to stop.’
“I just can’t.”
She had to take a break from the run, and take her prosthetic off in the first aid room. Seeing the only other PTS3 athlete in the race encouraged her to go again.
“I thought, ‘We didn’t come here to quit’. If she can do it, I can do it,” an emotional Cava said after finishing 12th overall in 1:37.29.
“One foot in front of the other and get to the finish.”
An achievement in itself, like for Judith McCombe and so many others.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
2024 Paralympics Paris 2024 Triathlon