Weiss, Wasle back to defend Xterra crowns

Defending champions Bradley Weiss and Carina Wasle are back to defend their titles in Xterra Danao Asia-Pacific Championship today in Danao City.

Weiss finished at the top of the Men’s Pro division in last year’s race in Danao City with a time of 3:16:00. The South African was six minutes and 33 seconds faster than New Zealand’s Sam Osbourne, who finished second. Another Kiwi, Kieran McPherson finished third place.

Both Osbourne and McPherson are both back to try and steal it from Weiss this year. Also competing against them are Aussie Ben Allen, Japanese Takahiro Ogasawara, Aussie Brodie Gardner, French Fabian Combaluzier, Kiwi Alex Roberts, American Will Ross, French Jacky Boisset and Filipino bet Joseph Miller.

Wasle, in the meantime, won her first Women’s Pro division title after her third attempt. The Austri- an dominated last year’s race and clocked in with a 4:07:49 time. She was ahead by almost 30 minutes of second finisher Aussie Penny Slater and ahead of American Jessica Koltz by an hour and 15 minutes. Slater is back, while Koltz won’t be competing this year.

The other pro triathletes in the Women’s division are British Jacqui Slack-Allen, Aussie Leela Hancox, Myriam Guillot-Boisset, Brazilian Laura Mira Dias, Kiwi Kristy Jennings and Aussie Kate Schultz.

The off-road triathlon kicks off with the 1.5K swim at the Coco Palm Beach Resort. It will be followed by 28K bike ride that starts with a two-loop course starting from the barangay road and into the jagged hills. After the bike ride, the triathletes will then run an 8K trail that starts with a gradual climb and finish with a steep downhill towards Cebu Technological University (CTU).