Sawtry: Paralympic champion Lauren Steadman wins bronze

Lauren Steadman competes in the women’s PTS5 category and was on the start line with Claire Cashmore and American Grace Norman, the two athletes she shared the Tokyo podium with two years ago. 

Ahead of them was a 750m swim, 19.7km bike and 5km run, with Steadman coming out of the water in third place behind Cashmore. 

Steadman competes in the women’s PTS5 category. (Image: British Triathlon)

Onto the bike and the British duo were soon battling with Norman, all three trading places around the roads of Pontevedra in northwest Spain. 

It was on the final discipline, the run, when they started to string out with the American showing her strength to leave the two Brits to battle for second and third.  

Cashmore finished the stronger to see Steadman claim bronze as part of her return to racing following a break in 2022. 

After the race, Steadman said: “This might be up there with my favourite races. I’ve had a really tough year mentally, not sure about the love of swim, bike, run, that’s why I took the break [in 2022], and it has come back. 

Cashmore finished the stronger to see Steadman claim bronze as part of her return to racing following a break in 2022. (Image: British Triathlon)

“At the moment I’ve done no triathlon-specific training, my only goal from my coach and British Triathlon was to stay happy, stay fit and stay strong, injury free, so to come third in the world having not really focused too much on triathlon, I’m due to get back into very specific training for Paris in the next nine months, so that excites me that I can build on a third place and that I know there’s so much more to come. 

“It was really great to be out there and good to just to have a base line of where I can progress moving forwards.” 

Ahead of them was a 750m swim, 19.7km bike and 5km run. (Image: British Triathlon)