Para-triathlon world titles for Steadman and Patrick
Last updated on .From the section Disability Sport
Great Britain para-triathletes Lauren Steadman and Alison Patrick won gold at the ITU World Championship event in Edmonton, Canada.
Steadman, 21, finished one minute and 28 seconds ahead of team-mate and four-time world champion Faye McClelland in the PT4 category for athletes with arm impairments.
Fellow Briton Clare Cunningham was third to complete a clean sweep.
Newcomer Patrick won the PT5 event for visually-impaired competitors.
Former international runner Patrick, who was not even competing in triathlon a year ago, beat team-mate and former world champion Melissa Reid by 20 seconds for her first major title with Spain's Susana Rodriquez in third.
The trio battled all the way through the 750m swim, 20.4km bike and 5km run with the 26-year-old from Livingston, who was guided by Jenny Manners, pulling away in the run for the win.
"Even going into the finish straight we didn't know we were first," said Patrick. "I only knew because Jenny said 'Alison, it's the tape!'"
Former Paralympic swimmer Steadman went into her event full of confidence having beaten McClelland at the World Triathlon Series event in Hyde Park and at the European Championships earlier this year.
The Portsmouth-based competitor used her swim to her advantage, finishing more than one minute ahead of the rest of the field and she maintained her lead to cross the line in one hour, 11 minutes, 55 seconds followed by McClelland (1:13.23) and Cunningham (1:15.27).
"I stayed relaxed and tried to enjoy the race," said Steadman. "Crossing the line was purely fantastic. Faye is one tough cookie, she made it difficult."
There were silver medals for Phil Hogg and Jane Egan in the PT1 category, for wheelchair users, while Sarah Pearson celebrated her birthday with her first world championship medal, a bronze in the PT3 category.
