“With Team USA’s success at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games last month, we are excited to keep our success going with this talented group of athletes who have already proven themselves to be contenders for the US Paralympic Triathlon Team in 2020.”

USA Para Triathlon has announced the eight athletes who earned a spot on the 2016-17 USA Para Triathlon Development Team with sights set on Tokyo 2020. The news comes a month after the sport’s successful Paralympic debut at Rio 2016.

The eight individuals who earned a spot on the 2016-17 squad are:

Mary Kate Callahan (PT1)

Geoffrey Kennedy (PT1)

Brian Norberg (PT2)

Andrea Walton (PT3)

Omar Bermejo (PT3)

Ruth Ann Reeves (PT4)

Joel Rosinbum (PT4)

Ashley Eisenmenger (PT5)

The eight athletes all won their respective sport classes at the 2016 USA Para Triathlon National Championships on 14 August in Santa Cruz, California, to confirm their spot on the team. The programme will provide the athletes with camp opportunities and apparel through the end of the 2016 season and in 2017 leading up to the USA Para Triathlon National Championships, which will be announced in the coming weeks.

“With Team USA’s success at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games last month, we are excited to keep our success going with this talented group of athletes who have already proven themselves to be contenders for the US Paralympic Triathlon Team in 2020,” said Amanda Duke Boulet, USA Para Triathlon Programme Manager. “We’re thrilled to offer resources to help these athletes hone their skills as we look to the next four years and beyond.”

More information on the USA Para Triathlon Development Team can be found on USA Triathlon’s website.