SAINTFIELD triathlete Tom Williamson has continued his remarkable rise on the international stage after producing two outstanding performances in the space of just two weeks, climbing to number three in the latest World Para Triathlon PTS5 rankings.
The 23-year-old Down Triathlon Club athlete secured a bronze medal at the European Para Triathlon Championships in Tarragona, Spain on 14 June before travelling to Canada, where he followed it up with a superb silver medal at the World Triathlon Para Series event in Montreal on 27 June.
The back-to-back podium finishes represent another significant milestone in Williamson’s career and firmly establish him amongst the world’s leading PTS5 para-triathletes as attention increasingly turns towards the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
In Montreal, Williamson once again demonstrated the qualities that have become hallmarks of his racing. Producing the fastest swim of the field, he exited the water with the race lead before delivering another composed performance on the bike around the iconic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve at Parc Jean-Drapeau, the Formula One circuit that had hosted the Canadian Grand Prix just weeks earlier, to put himself in a strong position heading onto the run.
Against a high-quality international field, Williamson raced with maturity and confidence to secure second place, repeating the silver medal he won in Montreal in 2025.
His latest performances have elevated Williamson to third in the Men’s PTS5 Para Triathlon rankings, making him the highest-ranked Irish triathlete across both para and able-bodied competition and the only Irish triathlete currently ranked inside the world’s top three.
Although he spends much of the year training at Triathlon Scotland’s National Performance Centre in Stirling, Williamson regularly returns home to County Down and remains immensely proud of his local roots.
Alongside the demands of elite international competition, he has successfully completed a First Class Honours degree in Sports Science at the University of Stirling, balancing full-time study with training and racing at the highest level. He is due to graduate at the university’s winter ceremony after postponing his original graduation to compete for Ireland at the European Para Triathlon Championships in Spain.
Although Williamson now trains with one of Britain’s leading performance squads in Stirling, he continues to proudly represent Down Triathlon Club, the club he still calls home.
Williamson’s performances over the past two seasons have established him as one of Ireland’s leading para-athletes, earning successive Triathlon Ireland Para Athlete of the Year awards while consistently challenging for podium places at World Triathlon events across Europe, North America and beyond.
Reflecting on his Montreal performance, Williamson said: “After a tough winter, standing on the podium at this level was something I hadn’t expected, and it means more than I can describe. I’m proud of how I’ve navigated the journey to get here.”
Williamson was also quick to acknowledge the people who have supported him throughout the season.
“Thank you to every single person who has made a positive impact on me this year. I’m constantly reminded how lucky I am to have such awesome people in my corner.
“This one is for you.”
With another World Triathlon Para Series race in Hamburg next on the calendar, Williamson’s focus now turns to building on the momentum created by his European Championship bronze and Montreal silver as he continues his preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
At just 23 years of age, the future looks exceptionally bright for one of County Down’s finest sporting ambassadors who, in his own words, is simply “enjoying what I’m doing and chasing a dream”, a dream he hopes will ultimately lead to representing Ireland at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
