Thursday, March 26, 2007
Biggest field of world-class triathletes in Subic Bay Triathlon
Eyeing slots in the triathlon event in next year's Beijing Olympic Games, close to 30 world-class triathletes have already confirmed their participation in the 13th staging of the Subic Bay International Triathlon set on May 5 and 6 inside the Subic Bay Freeport.
" This is the country's longest-running and only international triathlon event where the top finishers earn points for their International Triathlon Union ( ITU ) rankings , this is why even Europeans, aside from Asian triathletes compete here regularly, ' said Tom Carrasco Jr., president of the organizing Triathlon Association of the Philippines ( TRAP ) of its event which has already attrracted close to 300 entries, including the sprint distance, relay team, and kids' aquathlon and triathlon events, aside from the highlight Olympic distance race.
And the visiting triathletes will get a special treat as this year, TRAP has adopted the theme Fies -Tri to give the event a local fiesta-like color, according to Carrasco who has gotten the support of SPEEDO, David's Salon, Asian Centre for Insulation, Herbalife, Gatorade, the official sports drink, official hotel Legenda Hotel, the Philippine Sports Commission, host venue Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, and sanctioned by both the Asian Triathlon Confederation and the International Triathlon Union.
Leading the foreign men's field are New Zealanders Ben Pulham, Liam Scope, Will Green, Dylan McNiece, Tony Dodds, Kelly Bruce, and Martin Van Barneveld, Australians Clayton Fetell and pretty Alee Sharp, Spanish entires Carme Tort and Xavier Llobet, Austrians Martin Jandl and Norbert Domnik , Syrian Omar Tayara, and 2005 SEA Games women's triathlon gold medalist Kimbeley Yap of Malaysia. Singapore is sending its crack junior team of 2 male and 2 female headed by its deputy president David Hoong.
Japan is also sending a strong team composed of Satomi Okochi, Chie Nakashima, Koudo Hiramatsu, Satoshi Iwata, Hiroki Sugimoto, and Harunobu Sato while the Hong Kong delegation includes last year's Asian Aquathlon women's champion Mak So Ning , Kuan kam Yee, and Szeto Shiu Yan, all in the women's side while the men will be represented by young triathletes Lo Ching Hin and Lau Ching Yin.
The Philippines will be bannered by the members of the national triathlon team including Asian Games veterans Sandra Araullo and Lea Coline Langit together with Mimi Lucas in the distaff side while national triathlon champion George Vilog , Arland Macasieb and come backing Mark Candelaria will be targeting top ten finishes in the men's side, same with the women as the event is the second qualifying event for the selection of the RP team to this year's SEA Games in Thailand.
Aside from unfamiliarity with the race course for the visiting first-timers, the biggest factor that will affect the foreign triathletes will be the hot weather expected next month even as Carrasco has already made extra provisions for the water supply during the event .
The women's elite race together with the kids' aquathlon and triathlon, the junior sprint triathlon and adult sprint triathlon, and the female Under 23 events will take place on May 5, Saturday while the male elite open, the Under 23 male, male and female age group races, and team relay events take place Sunday, May 6.
Earlier, the International Technical Official training course for Asian technical officials will be conducted by ITU officialsLeslie Buchanan and Terry Sheldrake on May 3 and 4 with 5 Asian countries sending representatives, namely Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, HongKong, and host Philippines, the training course participants will also act as race officials in the races on may 5 and 6 where ASTC sec-gen Balwant Singh Kier will be the Technical Delegate.
Related Link: Subic Triathlon race info