Bill Chaffey (paratriathlete)

Bill Chaffey
2016 Australian Paralympic team portrait
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
Born (1975-10-09) 9 October 1975 (age 49)
Tamworth, New South Wales
Sport
ClubTweed Valley Triathletes
Medal record
Representing  Australia
Men's Paratriathlon
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Gold Coast TRI 1
Gold medal – first place 2011 Beijing TRI 1
Gold medal – first place 2012 Auckland TRI 1
Gold medal – first place 2013 London TRI 1
Gold medal – first place 2015 Chicago PT1
Silver medal – second place 2010 Budapest TRI 1
Ironman World Championship
Silver medal – second place 2013 Kailua-Kona Handcycle
Oceania Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Penrith PT1
Gold medal – first place 2015 Penrith PT1
Gold medal – first place 2016 Devonport PT1
Gold medal – first place 2017 Devonport PTWC
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Gold Coast PTWC

Bill Chaffey (born 9 October 1975) is an Australian paratriathlete who won his fifth world championship in 2015. He represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics when paratriathlon made its debut at the Paralympics.[1]

Personal

Chaffey became an incomplete paraplegic when, as a non-disabled triathlete training for an Ironman Triathlon, he was hit by a truck while on his bicycle.[2]

Career

He competes in the PT1 (handcycle/racing wheelchair classification) (formerly TRI-1) and was TRI-1 Paratriathlon World Champion in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015.[3] Chaffey's come-from-behind win over Jetze Plat was named in the International Paralympic Committee's Top 50 moments in Paralympic sport of 2013.[4] Chaffey was nominated for IPC Athlete of the Month in September 2013.[5]

In January 2013, Chaffey won the inaugural Australian Paratriathlon Championships, beating Ironman and Paralympian John Maclean and Paralympic rower Erik Horrie.[6][7][8] He won the Men's TRI-1 classification of the 2014 Oceania Paratriathlon Championships in a world best time of 58.22,[9] and won the 2014 ITU World Paratriathlon event in Elwood, Melbourne.[10][11]

In March 2013, Chaffey set a new TRI-1 world best time for an Olympic distance triathlon. His time of 2:08:59 bettered the previous record by 5 minutes.[12] In 2016 Chaffey again bettered that time by over 5 minutes setting a new world best time of 2:02:35.

In May 2013, Chaffey raced Ironman Cairns where he qualified for Ironman World Championships in Kona.[13][14][15] He placed 2nd his classification in Kona.[16]

Chaffey was forced to withdraw from the 2014 ITU World Triathlon Series Final in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada after breaking his hip in a training accident at home just prior to the event.[17] In January 2015, he returned from injury to win the Oceania Paratriathlon Championships PT1 event at Penrith, New South Wales.[18]

Chaffey won his fifth world championship at the 2015 World Championships Final in Chicago.[19]

Chaffey competed at the 2016 Rio Paralympics Games and finished fourth in the Men's PT1 event.[20] In preparation for the Paralympics, Chaffey stated "I just thought, this has to be mine. I have to have it...the Paralympics, A paralympic gold would not be a level step up but a greater step up, it's something I'm really putting a lot of focus on."[21] During the Paralympics, Chaffey expressed his love of triathlon through saying "It's triathlon, it's in my blood. I love it. It's the greatest sport in the world".[22]

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast, Queensland, he won the bronze medal in the men's PWTC despite crashing in the hand cycle leg and riding the final 8 km of that leg with one pedal.[23]

In his final major international event, at the 2018 World Championships, Gold Coast, Queensland, he finished sixth in the Men's PTWC.[24]

Recognition

  • 2016 – Australian Paratriathlete of the Year[25]

References

  1. ^ "DEBUTANT PARATRIATHLETES PUT ICING ON THE RIO CAKE". Triathlon Australia website. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  2. ^ "In Profile: Bill Chaffey, Australia". International Triathlon Union. 15 October 2009.
  3. ^ "Bill Chaffey: Results". International Triathlon Union.
  4. ^ "Bill makes it four in a row". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  5. ^ "September's IPC Athlete of the Month Poll opens". 5 October 2013.
  6. ^ "Chaffey makes history at first ever national paratriathlon". Australian Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 12 February 2013.
  7. ^ "Bill Chaffey gets boost in road to Rio". The Australian. 11 January 2013.
  8. ^ "Inspired Chaffey wins first Australian paratriathlon crown". Triathlon Australia. Archived from the original on 30 January 2013.
  9. ^ "Chaffey clocks world first at paratriathlon titles". Sporting Wheelies. Archived from the original on 26 January 2014.
  10. ^ "Chaffey defeats weather in Elwood". Australian Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  11. ^ "2014 Penrith OTU Paratriathlon Oceania Championships | World Triathlon".
  12. ^ Backhouse, Gillian (19 March 2013). "Mooloolaba number 5". Chasing The Dream. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Where there's a will there's a way: Bill Chaffey continues to inspire". Trizone. 21 May 2013.
  14. ^ AMANDA LULHAM (8 October 2013). "Bill Chaffey to compete in first Hawaiian Ironman eight years after being hit after being hit by truck training for first attempt". Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  15. ^ "Australian Paratriathlete Tackles Unfinished Business in Kona". ironman.com. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  16. ^ "Ironman World Championship 2013 Results – Bill Chaffey". Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  17. ^ "A shattered Bill Chaffey out of world champs after fall". Northern Star. 24 August 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  18. ^ "brave rain swept Neapean to Conquer Oceania Championships". Triathlon Australia News, 13 January 2013. Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  19. ^ White, Chelsea (18 September 2015). "Australia awesome at Paratriathlon World Championships". International Triathlon Union News. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  20. ^ "Men – PT2 Schedule & Results". Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  21. ^ "Rio 2016 Paralympics Bill Chaffey Interview". Rio 2016 Paralympics Bill Chaffey Interview. International Triathlon Union. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  22. ^ Spits, Scott (11 September 2016). "Triathlon on debut at Rio Paralympics: Pain, disappointment and a love for the sport". Triathlon on debut at Rio Paralympics: Pain, disappointment and a love for the sport. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  23. ^ Bode, Mark (7 April 2018). "Gold Coast Commonwealth Games: Ex-McCarthy Catholic College student Bill Chaffey lauded for character following heavy crash". The Northern Daily Leader. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  24. ^ "Tapp turned on full bore as Emily strokes World Championship gold". Triathlon Australia website. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  25. ^ "Rion Bound Ryan Bailie scoops the pool at Celebration Champions Dinner". Triathlon Australia News, 10 April 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2016.