World Champion back with a bang and European Championship qualification for PACTRAC athletes

​PACTRAC’s World Champion Paul Lunn returned to action in memorable style in Majorca.
By Alan Swann
Published 17th May 2023, 14:00 BST
Paul Lunn in action.Paul Lunn in action.
Paul Lunn in action.

​Lunn took part in the 70.3 Half-Ironman triathlon in Alcudia for the 12th time and won his age group for the sixth time. He beat his peers by over 15 minutes while finishing 14th overall in his first race following his world success in Utah last year because of ankle surgery.

Lunn is now in the 50-54 age group and will defend world and European titles later this year.

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Clubmates Jon Crowley (86th in age group) and Louise Hathaway (17th) also took part over distances of 1.2 mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1 mile run.Meanwhile Adam Clark and Susie Freeman both qualified for next year’s European Sprint Triathlon Championships with great performances at the Eton Sprint at Dorney Lake.

Susie Freeman competing at Dorney Lake.Susie Freeman competing at Dorney Lake.
Susie Freeman competing at Dorney Lake.

With 4 places up for grabs in each age group, both PACTRACmembers qualified in 3rd place after a 750m swim, 13-mile bike and 3.2 mile run.Clark finished 16th overall in 64.27.

Jonathan Oakey of PACTRAC competed for Ireland in the Africa Triathlon Cup in M'Diq, Morocco, finishing 13th in the Elite Mens race in 1:51:27.

Oakey was 25th out of the water, 37 seconds down after the 1500m swim, but the athletes came together by the end of the 25-mile bike section in a large group at the front.

Oakey then held on to 13th place in a tightly fought race, with a rapid 31:55 for the 10km run.

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