STEFFENS
Reigning Cobra Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship winners Tim Reed and Caroline Steffens will lead the 25 triathletes who will competing in the professional category of tomorrow’s Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 in Subic Bay, Olongapo.
Reed of Australia dominated last year’s men’s pro category of Cobra Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific in Cebu, while Steffens of Switzerland was crowned the women’s pro category champion.
Some 930 triathletes from various countries will be vie in the 1.9-kilometer swim, 90k bike and 21k run event.
Reed will try to dethrone the race’s defending champion and compatriot, Craig Alexander. Also challenging the two are fellow Aussies, Dan Brown, Jake Montgomery, Sam Betten and Tim Van Berkel, New Zealand’s Guy Crawford and Jason Hall, USA’s Benjamin Willams, Iain Alexander and Kevin Collington.
Other pro contenders are Germany’s Michael Raelert, Johannes Moldan and Till Schram, Johan Stofberg (South Africa), Ritchie Nicholls (UK), Sven Riederer (Switzerland), Ruedi Wild (Switzerland) and Kyle Buckingham (South Africa).
Steffens will try to defend her crown against last year’s second placer Radka Kahlefeldt of Czech Republic, Australia’s Dimity Lee Duke, Kate Bevilaqua, Sarah Lester and compatriot Imogen Simmonds.
In the Asian elite category, five Filipino elite triathletes will see action led by defending champions August Benedicto and Monica Torres. They will be joined by Manuel Dela Serna, Benjamin Raña and Jenny Rose Guerrero along with India’s Madhurjya Borah.
Organized by Sunrise Events Inc. (SEI), it is the first of two Ironman 70.3 races that will be held in the country this year.
SEI will also bring back the international off-road triathlon race XTerra Philippines on April 23 in Danao City, northern Cebu.