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USA Triathlon today named world champions Matt Perkins and Melissa Stockwell the 2010 USA Paratriathlon Athletes of the Year, presented by Accenture. This honor is awarded annually by USA Triathlon’s Paratriathlon Committee.
Perkins (Boise, Idaho) was victorious in the TRI-2 category at the 2010 ITU Paratriathlon World Championship in Budapest for his fifth world title. He was the TRI-2 runner-up at the 2010 Accenture USA Paratriathlon National Championship in New York City.
A 2008 Paralymic swimmer for the U.S. in Beijing, Stockwell (Oak Park, Ill.) was the top women’s TRI-2 finisher at the 2010 ITU Paratriathlon World Championship to claim her first world title. Additionally, she was second in the category at the U.S. championship.
“Our two USA Paratriathletes of the Year, both above the knee amputees, had incredible seasons in 2010,” said Jon Beeson, chair of the USA Triathlon Paratriathlon Committee. “Former Second Lieutenant Melissa Stockwell, who lost her leg in combat while serving with the U.S. Army in Iraq in 2004, won the ITU Paratriathlon World Championship in Budapest on her first try. Also a member of the Challenged Athletes Foundation’s Operation Rebound program, Melissa was awarded the bronze star for her service. It was an honor to have her on the team.”
Beeson added, “The redoubtable Matt Perkins won his fifth consecutive ITU World Championship in amazing fashion. He came from nearly 2 minutes back out of T2 and passed four competitors on the 5k run, including David Peiffer of France, the man who beat him a month before at the ITU World Championship Series Paratriathlon race in London. Matt always shows up ready for the big races.”
JP Theberge (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Craig Voghtsberger (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), silver medalists at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championship, received honorable mention accolades on the men’s side, as did Robin Caruso (Ridgefield, Conn.) and Carly Waugh (Knoxville, Tenn.) for the women.
Caruso won her third consecutive TRI-4 national title, and Waugh was the U.S. champion in the TRI-1 category and claimed silver in Budapest in 2010.
Men’s USA Paratriathlon Athlete of the Year, presented by Accenture
Matt Perkins (Boise, Idaho)
(HM) JP Theberge (Carlsbad, Calif.)
(HM) Craig Voghtsberger (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)
Women’s USA Paratriathlon Athlete of the Year, presented by Accenture
Melissa Stockwell (Oak Park, Ill.)
(HM) Robin Caruso (Ridgefield, Conn.)
(HM) Carly Waugh (Knoxville, Tenn.)
New release provided by USA Triathlon.