7 S’wak triathletes tackle Ironman 70.3 Vietnam
KUCHING: Seven triathletes from Sarawak put six months of training to the test at the Ironman 70.3 Vietnam held in Danang, Vietnam from May 4-7.
They competed in five age categories: Male 40 - 44 years (Danny Yeo and Tom Jong), Male 45 - 49 (Chieng Tiew Tong), Male 25-29 (Eric Tay), Male 35-39 (Awang Saifeluddin) and Female 40 - 44 (Wendy Ng).
Tom Jong demonstrated the ultimate will of an ironman when he was forced to push his bike on foot for the final 4km of the 90km bike course after a tire puncture.
Wendy Ng, who was thankful to Giant Bicycle Kuching for sponsorship, hoped to see for women take up the sport.
Danny Yeo finished strongly as the top Malaysian in his event, emerging with a fresh determinat ion to excel in November’s Ironman Langkawi which is where the entire team will be heading next.
Team leader Awang is optimistic about the future of the sport in the state.
“It’s our sincere wish also to organise and introduce this sport to people in Sarawak due to the increased interest in swimming, running and cycling,” he told The Borneo Post.
Over 1,300 participants from 59 countries competed in the 2017 Ironmen 70.3 Vietnam.
‘70.3’ refers to the total distance in miles covered in the 113km event, consisting of a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, a 56-mile (90 km) bike ride, and a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run.
Each distance of the swim, bike, and run segment is half the distance of that segment in an Ironman triathlon.
The annual Ironman 70.3 series culminates in the World Championships which will be held in Chattanooga, Tennessee in the US this year.
Competitors qualify for the World Championships through excelling in various events of the series held in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America in the prior 12 months.