Ellis Dave and guide Luke Pollard at the victory ceremony for the men's PTVI para-triathlon event at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. GETTY IMAGES

Great Britain’s Dave Ellis and guide Luke Pollard soared to Para-triathlon gold in Paris in the pair’s second Paralympic Games together after crossing the finish line well clear of rivals in the final 5km run.

Luke Pollard helped guide Dave Ellis to the para-triathlon gold on Day Five of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games finishing over a minute ahead of the rest in the 5km run with a stunning time of 16m18s.

Having been forced to drop out at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games due to an equipment failure, the two rejoiced in Paris with guide Pollard calling it the best moment of his life.

"I think that is the best moment in my life so far. That is definitely the best finish line I have ever had," said Pollard.

"Dave went to his first Paralympics in 2008 and he has been waiting since then for a medal so to be able to share that with him was amazing."

Ellis and Pollard joined forces in 2018 when Pollard spotted an advert by British Triathlon looking for guides for visually impaired athletes.

The following year Pollard moved to Loughborough to train with Ellis ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Having primed themselves for success they set off for Japan with high hopes only for a mechanical problem with the bike chain to derail their hopes and they were forced to abandon.

This time around there were no such hitches and they surprised all by their margin of victory.

Dave Ellis and guide Luke Pollard cross the finish line of the Para Triathlon men's PTVI event to secure gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. GETTY IMAGES
Dave Ellis and guide Luke Pollard cross the finish line of the Para Triathlon men's PTVI event to secure gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. GETTY IMAGES

"We just said before, if Dave has a solid race and does what he normally does, we might be able to possibly get the win, but it was going to come down to the wire," said Pollard. "It is a testament to his hard work and his performance out there, it was fantastic."

Pollard spent 13 years as an individual triathlete but cherishes the success he’s seen as a two-man team alongside Ellis helping him to navigate various courses safely over the past five years.

"My job is to make sure he performs to the best of his ability but also to make sure he gets round with no mishaps," explained Pollard. "There are things that you may not fully think of if you are fully sighted like gradients in the road if they are off-camber, or an empty water bottle on the floor."

"I'm giving him feedback, 'This is how we are going, this is what time we are on at the moment, this is where the other athletes are'. At the end, I might give him some encouragement, a bit of screaming!"

"It is definitely the best thing I've ever done in the sport," Pollard concludes.