Wincentbert to try his best
KOTA KINABALU: An underprepared Wincentbert Latius vowed to give his best when the 30th Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon gets underway at the Kinabalu Park on Sunday.
The highly rated endurance runner was the runner-up in the Elite Men category last year, which was his best ever finish in the Climbathon.
The achievement has only increased the expectation on the 23-year-old to challenge for the title this year and fulfil Sabah’s great the three-time Men’s Open champion Guainus Salagan’s prediction back in 2013 on him as a future champion.
Wincentbert though has played down his chances of winning in the upcoming race, especially when he was sidelined for over two months due to joints problem in the leg.
“I suffered the injury in May and it forced me off the track for two-and-a-half months.
“I have since recovered but getting back to the level I wanted has been tough...I’ve worked and trained hard though and feel much better now.
“However, I am not in the same condition when compared to last year,” he said when contacted here yesterday.
Wincentbert, who is attached to the Kota Kinabalu City Hall Enforcement Department, also admitted that he would be up against some of the top runners from within and outside the country, whom he said have made better preparation than him.
Leading the men’s race are local favourites including defending champion Safrey Sumping, the 2013 winner Daved Simpat and Sapirin Sumping who last week clinched the International Men top placing in the Royal Penguin Ultra Marathon at Everest Region.
It was also learnt that John Kiprorir Rutto, who was unfortunate after a fall towards the end of the race last year costing him a better finish than his third placing, too will return to lead the challenge from among foreign runners.
“I’ve trained at the Mount Kinabalu twice recently and I felt good. But, what’s more important is my condition on race day.
“All I can promise is that I will give my utmost best and try to give a strong performance to the best of my ability.
“If I am able to finish in the top three...it will be a bonus,” said Wincentbert who hails from Kampung Kiau, a village at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu.
Wincentbert’s participation in the upcoming Climbathon will be his fifth since 2012 where he finished in 23rd spot after the race was rebranded as an Adventure Series.
He announced himself as a bright young talent and a potential future champion when he claimed a fifth place finish in 2013 before injury saw him categorised as DNF (Did Not Finish) the following year.
The Climbathon was cancelled in 2015 due to the deadly earthquake in Ranau but he returned strongly to finish second last year.
For the record, 129 runners from 19 countries have registered for the Climbathon. They are from Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain, Kenya, Thailand, South Africa, United States, the Philippines and Malaysia.
Out of the total runners, 105 of them will compete in the Elite Men’s category while another 24 runners for the Elite Women’s race.
Sandi Menchi Catlona of the Philippines too will return to defend her title.