Subic Bay Asian Dualthon Championships slated

WORLD class action takes place in the 2009 Subic Bay ASTC Asian Duathlon Championships slated November 15 at the Subic Bay Freeport.

International Triathlon Union (ITU) number one ranked duathlete in Russian Sergey Yakolev and Japan's Aira Sawada banners the foreign field in the male and female elite class as they vie for top honors and a big slice from the P250,000 total prizes raised by organizing Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) in partnership with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Prior to the race, the ITU will first conduct a Level II Technical Official Education Seminar from November 13 and 14 with ITU Events Operations Manager Thanos Nikopolous as the lecturer.

After the seminar, participants will be asked to help officiate in the Asian Duathlon Championships and those who will pass the test may be eligible to work in the Asian Games in Guangzhou in 2010 and the Asian Beach Games in Muscat, Oman in 2011.

Joining Yakolev, who won the 2009 Mekong River ITU Duathlon World Series event and placed third in the Budapest ETU Duathlon European Championships, in the male elite are ITU number two ranked Damien Derobert of France, number 4 ranked Raphael Baugh of Australia and number 10 ranked Yuya Fukaura of Japan.

Malaysia's Shahrom Abdullah and Krishna Kumar have also confirmed their participation in this event also backed by Rudy Project, Sunkist, Fitness First, Globe, David's Salon, Vitwater, Gatorade, Asian Center for Insulation Phils.

Derobert best showing this year was a second place finish in the World Duathlon held in Concord, Connecticut, USA while Baugh is a veteran of the Asian Duathlon Championship which was held in Clark where he finished second to Ryan Mendoza.

Sawada meanwhile looms as the top female competitor as she topped the Mekong River race last March aside from being a 12th place finisher in the World Duathlon Championships.

Sawada's compatriot Erika Inoue is also competing in the race to be held at the 10k run, 40-k bike and 5-k run distance in a new course at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.

Philippines will be bannered by the defending Philippine International Duathlon Open Champions Neil Catiil and Monica Torres. Other noted bets from the host country includes Robeno Javier, August Benedicto and George Vilog in the male and Lea Coline Langit and Mirasol Abad in the female class.

Japan's Jun Tanaka, Masaaki Kurihara and Taiki Tsuji will challenge the country's top Under 23 elite led by Carlo Pedregosa, Rowel Odonio and Brian Borling while Kim Mangrobang will anchor the host country's campaign in the U-23 female elite.

Johannah Pe Benito who claimed her first medal, a bronze, in international event during the Hong Kong ITU Premium Race and Cagayan de Oro prized find Philip Jurolan will carry the cudgels for Philippines in the Junior Female and Male elite.

China, Mongolia, Iran, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong China, Singapore and Indonesia are also expected to participate in the ITU technical workshop held in consonance with the second big event by TRAP with SBMA. The first major event was the Subic Bay International Marathon held last May. (Trap Online News)