Dave Ellis survives scare to claim victory at World Triathlon Para Series Swansea

World number one Dave Ellis survived a scare to claim victory in the PTVI men's race at 2024 World Triathlon Para Series Swansea. Ellis endured a slow transition out of the water alongside guide Jack Hutchens - and with US pairing Owen Cravens and Ben Hoffman storming ahead on the bike, they found themselves 28 seconds down going into the run. But in a remarkable turnaround, Ellis was able to close the gap on his American counterpart before taking pole position in the dying stages, crossing the line eight seconds ahead of second place. Keeping confidence sky-high in what is the penultimate race before the Paris Paralympics qualification window slams shut, Derby's Ellis was never in doubt that his running ability would be able to make up for difficulties suffered early in the race. "It feels pretty sweet," said Ellis. "It was a tough one, because the course is quite different to what we normally do - quite technical, on and off the power. "The American boys are really strong on the bike, but I was very confident that I could run and catch up to him as long as we weren't too far back. "It was just focussing on maintaining the gap earlier. The run made the legs feel pretty rough, but I managed to get there in the end." Elsewhere in the race, rising star Oscar Kelly and his guide Charlie Harding put in an admirable performance to finish fourth, continuing in fine stead as he seeks a Paralympic place in Paris. The race was the first elite event to finish on a bumper day of action in Wales, as British Triathlon Paratri Super Series racing took place ahead of the elite racing for developing paratriathletes. There was also lots going on around the racing at the event that achieved Gold in World Triathlon's Sustainability Certification, with the event village and Marina Market bustling with enthusiastic spectators. Competing in front of a rapturous crowd in Swansea, Ellis is confident that this is a sign of things to come for the summer, expecting a strong British faithful to cross the channel in August. "I think it'll be ten times this in Paris," he added. "The French love triathlon and we've got loads of Brits going over as it's so close. "I think it'll be awesome, they'll probably embrace it just like London did back in 2012. I reckon the atmosphere will be unreal." In the women's PTVI event, Rio 2016 silver medallist Alison Peasgood put in a strong performance to medal, navigating a difficult course to claim bronze. The result acts as a major boost for Peasgood's hopes of qualifying for Paris 2024, with her podium spot providing her with a crucial third score for the rankings. "I think coming top three has put us, finally, into the top nine," she said. "Hopefully that'll be enough to get us to the Games, and that was what we came here to do. "It's a relief to score. Everyone else had got three scores and we'd only got two, so until you've done that third race, you can't even just relax. It's a big weight off my mind." World Triathlon Para Series Swansea welcomed some of the best paratriathletes in the world to swim, bike, run in South Wales. To start your journey in paratriathlon and find out more about the sport, visit https://www.britishtriathlon.org/paratriathlontalentid.