Shrugging off injury
Despite back pains, triathlete Mataragnon defends CCT title; Jumamil wins men’s side
CEBU’s top junior triathlete Aaliyah Ricci Mataragnon came back stronger after an injury and was able to defend her crown in the second edition of the Cebu City Triathlon (CCT), which started and ended at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) yesterday.
The 14-year-old Mataragnon of Jumbo Plastic Linoleum made a sweet comeback after an injury last December and ended up clinching a back-to-back title in the women’s elite division of the annual CCT.
Mataragnon hoisted the trophy after completing the sprint distance race which featured 750-meter swim, 20K bike and 5K run in 1 hour 18 minutes and 9 seconds to win distaff side’s top honor.
The stalwart athlete of Sacred Heart School-Hijas de Jesus was still nursing a back injury during the race but did not let that get the better of her. Mataragnon had a rolling start in the swim segment and was solo in the lead pack during the bike segment and the run part. She finished the race with more than one minute gap from the closest pursuer.
Jacqui Lamparero of Iloilo City came in 1:19:55 to clinch second place, Rider Omega Pro’s Tri-Team Cianyl Jamae Gonzalez nabbed third place in 1:23:32 while Issa Priagula of Maria Montessori International School had a time of 1:26:45 to round up the top elites in the distaff side.
Mataragnon told reporters after the race that the back injury has bothered her while training in this race. She said that every time she does a high intensi- ty workout, the pain on the back would come back.
The silver medalist of Hong Kong ASTC Sprint Triathlon Cup stressed that even though the back pain was bothering her, she had prepared well for this race.
“Actually ,I felt scared when I learned that there were triathletes from outside Cebu competing in the elite division. But it did not get into me because I believe in my training,” said the Grade 10 student Mataragnon.
The new recruit of Rider Omega Pro Tri-Team Paul Jumamil immediately showed his worth as he topped the men’s elite division.
Jumamil, 23, who hails from Cortes, Bohol clocked 1:04:43 to win the men’s elite title and the P20,000 cash prize.
Kim Remolino placed second in 1:05:39, Jorry Ycong salvaged third place after crossing the finish line in 1:05:47, Emmanuel Comendador finished in 1:06:09 for fourth place and junior triathlete Ralph Eduard So carded 1:08:37 for fifth place.
“I feel super blessed because I was able to finish and win the race,” Jumamil said, who started the year with a win in Altritude Triathlon race in Bukidnon and CCT a week after.
Jumamil was trailing in the swim part but recovered in the turning point of the bike segment and took the lead from Remolino. He suffered a side-stitch in the first 200-meter of the run segment but shrugged it off to eventually walk away with the title.