Veterans survive crash, Seine swim to finish Paris Paralympics course (2024)

PARIS – Volunteers who surrounded Howie Sanborn encouraged him to stop after he crashed with less than 0.6 kilometers left in the men’s PTWC triathlon of the Paris Paralympics on Monday morning.

Unlike many of his competitors, his wheelchair has a footplate, and the bracket broke while he was at full speed. Sanborn’s feet hit the ground, flipping the chair and flinging him to the ground.

Even though a chance at a medal long had passed him by, and despite pain from the fall, the Army Ranger and Golden Knight veteran refused to quit.

The 42-year-old Paralympic first-timer found a volunteer who could speak English and had the others force his feet through a bar against their advice.

He finished the race in a time of 1 hour, 9 minutes and 41 seconds, placing ninth. He was in sixth prior to the crash.

“Usually, you’re done at that point, but I was like, ‘just wedge me in like a kneeler,’ which I can’t really do because it hurts so bad,” Sanborn said. “I was like, ‘I’m not DNF-ing at the Games.’”

Sanborn was one of three U.S. veterans who competed in the 11 divisions of the para triathlon on Monday.

Army veteran Melissa Stockwell came in fifth place of the women’s PTS2 race in a time of 1:21.06. Then, in the men’s PTS4 competition, Marine veteran Eric McElvenny crossed the line in ninth place in 1:05.46.

A fourth, women’s PTS4 world No. 1 Kelly Elmlinger, did not start on Monday afternoon.

The para triathlon consists of a 750-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike ride and a 5-kilometer run. The swim took place in the Seine, the river that runs through the center of Paris and whose failed water-quality tests pushed the races from Sunday to Monday.

The opportunities to traverse some of the most famous parts of the City of Light – like the Champs-Elysees on the bike course – left a favorable impression on all three veteran triathletes, including multi-time Paralympians Stockwell and McElvenny.

Stockwell competed in three Games before Paris. Her first was as a swimmer in Beijing. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native then switched to triathlon for Rio de Janeiro, in which she earned a bronze medal, and Tokyo in which she placed fifth.

In Paris, the University of Colorado graduate led after the swimming part, only to drop to sixth place by the end of the cycling. Her 5K running time of 25:04 moved her up a place, but she finished 6:35 behind teammate and gold-medal winner Hailey Danz.

Stockwell was excited for her teammate, hugging Danz’s family before the winner herself made her way through the after-race scrum.

Looking ahead, though, the 44-year-old doesn’t know if she’ll be competing in Los Angeles in four years.

“I’m going to take a few months to let it all soak in,” Stockwell said. “Never say never. I’ll be 48, but I feel good.”

At 41, McElvenny also had been debating whether to continue his Paralympic pursuit.

First starting out as rehab after his right leg was amputated below the knee because of an injury suffered when stepping on an improvised explosive device in Helmand province, Afghanistan, triathlon turned into a hobby for the U.S. Naval Academy graduate. McElvenny rose through the ranks before qualifying for Tokyo and now running in Paris.

Competing in front of Monday’s crowd, which he didn’t have in his prior Paralympian experience in Tokyo, has ignited the fire to run in Los Angeles, he said.

“I was starting to question (going past Paris), but on the course today, I decided I want to stay in the game,” McElvenny said. “I want to continue to experience this.”