Paralympics: Netherlands’ Jetze Plat claims third consecutive triathlon gold despite delay
The 33-year-old Dutchman finished in a time of 58 minutes, 16 seconds to defend titles from Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
Jetze Plat won the first event of the triathlon at the Paris Paralympics, which finally got under way on Monday after being postponed because of water quality concerns regarding the Seine.
The 33-year-old Dutchman finished in a time of 58 minutes, 16 seconds to claim his third Paralympic title in a row after victory at Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
The podium of the men’s PTWC race – the triathlon event for wheelchair users – was completed by Austria’s Florian Brungraber in silver medal position and Geert Schipper of the Netherlands in bronze.
The triathlon events at the Paris Games were initially scheduled to take place over two days but because of concerns over bacteria levels in the Seine, where the swimming stage takes place, organisers announced last week that all 11 races would take place on Sunday.
Then, following heavy rain on Saturday which can stir up pollution in the river, organisers and governing body World Triathlon decided to postpone further until Monday.
The water quality issue also caused disruption to the Olympics triathlon and open-water swimming events earlier this summer, with several practice sessions cancelled.
