Peasgood and Brown both finish fourth as triathlon gets underway in Tokyo

**Alison Peasgood narrowly missed out on a second Paralympics medal as triathlon made its Tokyo 2020 bow at the Odaiba Marine Park. **

Peasgood and guide Nikki Bartlett were catching France’s Annouck Curzillat and her guide Celine Bousrez down the final straight but ran out of track and finished two seconds behind the eventual bronze medallist in the women’s PTVI.

Peasgood, who won a silver medal in the PT5 event at Rio 2016, crossed the line in 1:11.47 to come fourth and admitted just making it to the start line was an achievement after an injury scare in the build-up.

“Three weeks ago I hurt my back,” she said. “I was on crutches at the holding camp and I didn’t think this was possible.

“Even up until last week we still thought we might be flying back. So to be here and actually be competitive is pretty special.”

Melissa Reid and guide Helen Macleod finished seventh in the same race, while there was disappointment for Dave Ellis and his guide Luke Pollard in the men’s PTVI event after they retired from the race due to a snapped bike chain.

Elsewhere, Fran Brown matched Peasgood’s fourth place in the women’s PTS2 event.

Brown, who isolated for a year during the Covid pandemic and didn’t swim for 14 months, finished in 1:19.42, almost four minutes back from the medal positions.

She said: “I would have loved a medal and I think a couple of years ago I would have been in the shape to have a medal, and it is there in the future but for now making the start was the goal and I did that.”

Michael Taylor finished eighth in the men’s PTS4 and is already looking ahead to the next Paralympic Games in Paris.

He said: “I’m quite disappointed, I thought maybe I could get a medal today, but it’s my first race – Paris next, and hopefully can’t wait to go there. I’ll be able to try for medals.”