Team Philippines Bag Medals In Singapore | Cold Storage Singapore International Triathlon
PHILIPPINES bid to have an entry to the 2014 Youth Olympic Games gained ground yesterday as aspirants Justin Chiongbian and Vicky Deldeo won a gold and silver medals in the Cold Storage Singapore International Triathlon held yesterday morning.
Both triathletes saw action in the 13-to-15 division and held at the 200-m swim, 10-k bike and 2-k run distance with Chiongbian overcoming a slow start and give the country a gold medal.
total of 40 triathletes competed in the boys’ division with the Cebu find triathlete negating a seventh place finish after the swim leg with strong performance in the bike and run.
Chiongbian started to make his move in the bike as he roared to third place behind rivals from US and Indonesia. He then unleashed his running prowess and took control of the race halfway in the run leg. Chiongbian submitted a time of 25 minutes and 50 seconds and was a minute ahead over his Indonesian rival. Triathlete from Malaysia took the bronze medal.
This is the second time Choingbian saw action in the race and he managed to improve his third place showing last year. His time this year also surpassed the 28:05 winning time recorded by 2012 gold medal winner Malaysian Muhammad Tareef Zakar. Deldeo also showed her determination as she wound up with a medal finish despite coming in fifth in the swim leg. Malaysian bet Zoe Natasha Bowden however erected a comfortable margin and managed to thwart the challenge of the Filipina triathlon for the gold medal.
Chiongbian and Deldeo who were accompanied by their parents and national junior coach Anthony Lozada, paid for their own fares since both triathletes wanted to gauge their level of competitiveness in time for the ITU Hong Kong International Triathlon slated October 26 and 27.
These two young triathletes along with Jimuel Patilan and Magali Echauz are Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) top bets for the YOG triathlon Continental qualifying race slated in June in Kazakhstan.
“Chiongbian and Deldeo showed they deserve to be part of our YOG aspirants. Their performance is also a good confidence builder in time for next year’s continental qualifying race,” said Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) chairman and TRAP president Tom Carrasco Jr.
Patilan and Echauz are also seeing action in this race but in the higher junior category.
Source : Coach Rick of TRAP
