17 hours ago
Martyn, Esther win SEA triathlon sprint titles in Pangkor
KUALA LUMPUR: National triathletes Martyn Lim and Esther Joy Chen proved their mettle by winning the elite sprint titles at the Southeast Asia Triathlon Federation Championship, held in conjunction with the Perak Multisport Festival on Pangkor Island, Perak, today.
Martyn clocked 1 hour 3 minutes 57 seconds (1:03:57) to top the men's elite category, which comprised a 750m swim, 20km bike ride and 5km run. He had finished fifth in last year's race.
He outperformed compatriot and 2015 SEA Games silver medallist Rikigoro Shinozuka, who finished second with a time of 1:05:25, while Singapore's Russel Lee came in third at 1:06:10.
Martyn said his prior experience competing at the same location gave him a strategic edge.
'That definitely helped a lot. I knew when to attack, when to conserve energy, and the right moment to sprint to the finish line.
'I'm very satisfied with what I achieved today,' he said in a statement.
He hopes the victory will be enough to secure him a spot in the SEA Games in Thailand this December, as this championship served as the final qualifying event.
'Today's race marked my fourth and final qualifying event.
'We'll now wait for the official decision. I gave it everything today ... hopefully, it's enough,' he added.
In the women's elite category, Esther completed the race in 1:10:25, well ahead of Singapore's Lim Wan Ting (1:12:48) and Regine Goh (1:15:07).
The win was especially sweet for Esther, who had to settle for second place last year.
'This victory wasn't just about speed; it was more about race management.
'I really pushed myself, especially during the swim and bike segments. It's not about who's the fastest, but who's the smartest with strategy,' said Esther, who also hopes to qualify for the SEA Games in Thailand.
