Lauren Parker wins GOLD in the women’s triathlon at the Paralympic Games as Aussie star braves River Seine to complete redemption arc after Tokyo heartbreak
- Lauren Parker wins gold in the women’s triathlon
- Paralympic athlete suffered life-changing injuries in 2017
- She recovered from her broken heart in Tokyo and triumphed
Lauren Parker buried the pain of her heartbreak in Tokyo and completed her Paralympic redemption by claiming a gold medal in a convincing PTWC triathlon.
Three years ago, Parker had to settle for silver in Japan after losing to American Kendall Gretsch by just one second.
But on Monday morning (local time) in Paris – after the triathlon was postponed for 24 hours due to poor water quality – Parker was keen to take it one step further.
The 35-year-old’s victory marked Australia’s seventh gold medal at the 2024 Games.
Parker completed the first leg of the triathlon – a 750-meter swim across the Seine – with ease and quickly built up a 52-second lead.
Gretsch came out of the water in third place, but the American had Parker in her sights and made up ground when they switched to the handcycle.
Over the five laps of the 20km bike course, Gretsch moved into second place and began to hang increasingly over Parker’s shoulder.
The Australian opened up a one-minute, 58-second lead over her American rival after the two switched to the 5km wheelchair race.
Lauren Parker has won the Paralympic Games after winning the triathlon
The Australian athlete recovered from her disappointment in Tokyo to win gold
Parker suffered a life-changing training accident in 2017 that left her paraplegic
Gretsch started racing, but Parker had no intention of giving up as she crossed Pont Alexandre III. She burst into tears as she crossed the finish line.
The American won silver, while Canada’s Leanne Taylor took bronze.
“It was tough getting through that, and sticking with every training session, and the emotional rollercoaster that sport brings, was tough,” she told Nine.
“I couldn’t be happier today.”
Parker’s life changed in 2017 when she crashed at 40km/h while training for the Ironman Australia Triathlon, catapulting her into a guardrail and leaving her with serious injuries, including paraplegia.
When asked if she saw herself winning gold after that moment, Parker was completely honest.
“Absolutely not. When I was in hospital in 2017, I had a life-changing accident. I never thought I would ever be able to play sports again, let alone compete in the Paralympic Games and win a gold medal,” she said.
“It means everything to me. I’ve been through so much since then. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that I’ve been through. I’ve pushed through every day, every second to be here.”