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In sport’s constant quest for the perfect redemption arc, Dave Ellis finally got his happy ending.
Ellis has been a dominant force in para triathlon for nearly a decade but feared his career might be defined by the mechanical issue that forced him to withdraw three years ago in Tokyo. He didn’t even get a certificate for his troubles, after failing to finish the race.
Friends and family – in their red and blue T-shirts – watched anxiously as he and guide Luke Pollard gingerly made their way around the cobbled bike circuit and then cheered, through a mixture of relief and pride, as they dominated the run to win gold in the men’s PTVI event.
“It was a tough couple of years after Tokyo, but it feels a bit unreal,” said Ellis, who is one of over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, allowing them to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support – which has been vital on their pathway to the Paris 2024 Games.
“You don’t know how many Paralympic races you’ll get in your career, so that added extra nerves, and it just feels special to have pulled it off.
“After one lap of the bike I thought ‘I’ve made it further than last time’. I didn’t want to finish my career not even finishing a race at the Games. There was never any doubt I’d carry on and, if I can stay competitive, I’d love to keep on going too.”
Ellis is not prone to exaggeration or superlatives. He is – according to partner Claire Cashmore – a man of actions, not words.
She crossed the line in silver in the women’s PTS5 event – British defending champion Lauren Steadman took bronze – and immediately asked where Ellis had finished. Then came the tears.
“Dave is the most determined, hardworking person I’ve ever met and he’s finally he’s got what he deserves, especially after Tokyo,” said Cashmore, now a ten-time Paralympic medallist. “I felt so stressed not being able to watch him but I’m so pleased he got his moment.
“I can’t tell you how resilient he is. The work he does every day is inspiring and he deserves everything he gets. He’s a man of few words, we are polar opposites in that respect.”
When it comes to water quality in the Seine it seems you’d do well to bottle the best of British.
Where Alex Yee blazed a trail at the Olympics, Britain’s Paralympic triathletes duly followed, winning two golds, a silver and two bronzes after a 24-hour delay to competition due to pollution concerns.
For the second consecutive morning they awoke unsure whether they’d compete, until the official with the dipstick gave the thumbs up.
If Ellis was a hot favourite in his race, few gave Megan Richter a chance in the women’s PTS4 classification, her shock on crossing the line was, pardon the pun, duly off the scale.
“I didn’t mind the swim, actually I think well done to Paris for trying to clean up their bigger river, I can’t imagine swimming in the Thames through London,” she said.
Like Cashmore and Steadman, Richter transitioned to triathlon from swimming but she was never considered among Britain’s top medal prospects here. She arguably benefited from the absence of American favourite Kelly Elmlinger, who withdrew hours before the race, but being good and lucky is always key to success.
Team-mate Hannah Moore had a two-minute lead going into the decisive run and Richter slowly ticked off that deficit, her disbelief evident as she crossed the line, while Moore hung on to take bronze.
“Did that really just happen?” she asked. “I could feel my legs starting to go but I knew I needed to get to the end. I was out with a stress fracture last year but I went all in full time a few months ago and races started going well at the start of the year. Things just came together and I’m so happy, the timing has been perfect.
“Since I was little this was all that I dreamed about, looking up to people like Ellie Simmonds and wanting to be just like her.”
Steadman now has a set of Paralympic medals, with a bronze here alongside her Tokyo gold and Rio silver.
Ellis, 38, and Cashmore, 36, both have no intention of hanging up the wetsuit or racking up the bike, insisting Los Angeles remains their long-time plan.
Steadman though was no lukewarm about California and her future in triathlon, though admits she rather likes the idea of cross-country skiing at the Winter Games in Milan-Cortina.
Until then, her main focus will be completing a PhD about anxiety in elite athletes, something she can be a first-hand source for.
“I feel like Lauren 2.0 is coming, I’m not entirely sure my sports career is over just yet, I do very much love racing but I just need to be gentle with myself,” she said.
“When I got my gold medal in Tokyo the flame kind of dampened a bit for triathlon. When I put on those skis, even though I fell over a lot, it sparked the annoyance in me that I want to get better.
“I’d be the first standing woman ParalympicsGB have had at the Winter Paralympics, it won’t be easy, but I’ll be giving it everything.”
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