PARIS, France — Another Houston athlete is bringing home a medal from the Paris Paralympics. Mark Barr, 38, won bronze in the men's PTS2 triathlon on Monday.
Jules Ribstein won gold for France in the men’s PTS2 and American Mohamed Lahna won silver.
Triathlon events were postponed from Sunday because of concerns about the water in the Seine River after rainstorms. Heavy rains cause wastewater and runoff to flow into the river, leading to a rise in bacteria levels.
Sport classes PTS2 to 5 are for athletes with limitations in lower or upper limbs who don’t need a handcycle for the cycling segment or a racing chair for the running segment. Prosthetic legs and bike modifications are allowed.
More on Mark Barr
Barr lost his right leg to bone cancer when he was a teenager growing up in Davis, California.
He competed in swimming in Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008. Barr was also an NCAA Division 1 swimmer for California Polytechnic State University from 2004-08.
After college, Barr wanted to try something new so he began competing in triathlons.
In Rio in 2016, he finished 4th, just shy of a medal in PT2.
World Championships medals
- 2018: Barr won gold in PTS2 in the World Championships.
- 2017: He won silver in PTS2.
- 2016: Barr won silver in PT2
- 2013: Barr won bronze in TRI-2
- 2006: Barr won a swimming silver in the 100m butterfly
- 2006: He won a swimming bronze medal in the 4x100m medley relay
Barr was awarded the 2019 ESPY for Best Male Athlete with a Disability. In 2018, he was named the USA Triathlon Male Paratriathlete of the Year.
When Barr isn't competing, he is a registered nurse in the trauma surgical ICU in Houston.
He and his wife Morgan have a baby son named Luke.
